Govt: UK MP's visa revoked for anti-India role
The revocation was due to her involvement in activities against India's national interest.
New Delhi: The e-business visa of British MP Debbie Abrahams was revoked for her alleged involvement in ant-Indian activities and the decision to cancel the visa was conveyed to her on February 14 itself, senior officials claimed.
Officials further clarified that sanctioning, revocation or rejection of a visa or any electronic travel authorisation was the sovereign right of a country. Ms Abrahams, officials added, was an issued an e-business visa on October 7 last year, which was valid till October 5 this year only for attending business meeting.
However, this e-business visa was revoked on February 14 this year, and the decision was conveyed to the British MP the same day. The revocation was due to her involvement in activities against India’s national interest.
When Ms Abrahams landed at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday, she was not in possession of a valid visa and was hence asked to
go back. India does not have any provision for a visa on arrival scheme for UK nationals at any airport, hence her argument that she was not given a visa on arrival was not valid, officials clarified.
An e-business visa issued to any individual can be used only for business meetings and not for visiting family and friends, which was the reason given by the Labour MP for her travel to India. For this, a separate visa has to be sought, which was not done in this case.
Ms Abrahams, a Labour Party MP, also chairs a British parliamentary group on Kashmir. She was denied entry into India on her arrival at IGI Airport on Monday, and officials said she had been informed in advance that her e-visa had been cancelled.
Ms Abrahams was part of a group of British MPs who issued formal letters expressing concerns over the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 in August last year.
The Congress, meanwhile, backed the government on this issue on Tuesday. Party leader Abhishek “Manu” Singhvi claimed she was not just an MP but a “Pakistan proxy”. Mr Singhvi tweeted: “The deportation of Debbie Abrahams by India was indeed necessary, as she is not just an MP, but a Pak proxy known for her clasp with Pak govt and ISI. Every attempt that tries to attack India’s sovereignty must be thwarted.”