New Delhi, February 17 (KMS): India denied a British lawmaker, who is highly critic of New Delhi over its anti-Kashmir policies, entry on Monday after she landed at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Debbie Abrahams, a Labour Party Member of Parliament who chairs a parliamentary group focused on the disputed region of Kashmir, was unable to clear customs after her valid Indian visa was rejected, The Associated Press informed quoting her aide, Harpreet Upal.
Abrahams and Upal arrived at the airport on an Emirates flight from Dubai at 9 a.m. Upal said the immigration officials did not cite any reason for denying Abrahams entry and revoking her visa, a copy of which, valid until October 2020, was shared with the AP. Abrahams has been a Member of Parliament since 2011 and was on a two-day personal trip to India, she said in a statement.
Abrahams has been an outspoken critic of the Indian government’s move last August stripping Kashmir of its special status. Shortly after the changes to Kashmir’s status were passed by India’s Parliament, Abrahams wrote a letter to India’s High Commissioner to the U.K., saying the action “betrays the trust of the people” of Kashmir.
Debbie Abrahams narrates her episode in following words:
“Along with everyone else, I presented myself at the immigration desk with my documents including my e-visa, had my photograph taken and then the official looked at his screen and started shaking his head. Then he told me my visa was rejected took my passport and disappeared for about 10 minutes. When he came back he was very rude and aggressive shouting at me to ‘come with me’. I told him not to speak to me like that & was then taken to a cordoned off area marked as a Deportee Cell. He then ordered me to sit down & I refused.”
“I didn’t know what they might do or where else they may take me, so I wanted people to see me. He disappeared again when I rang my sister in law’s cousin, Kai, who I was meant to be staying with. Kai got in touch with the British High Commission & he tried to find out what was going on. After lots of different immigration officials came to me, I tried to establish why the visa had been revoked and if I could get a ‘visa on arrival’ but no-one seemed to know. Even the person who seemed to be in charge said he didn’t know & was really sorry about what had happened. So now I am just waiting to be deported … unless the Indian Government has a change of heart. I’m prepared to let the fact that I’ve been treated like a criminal go, & I hope they will let me visit my family in this private visit.”