India has its personal visa coverage beneath which it determines which non-citizens can enter the nation, the US stated on Thursday, reacting to allegations by an Australian journalist that India refused to increase her visa, main her to go away the nation “abruptly.” “
“Look, the Indian authorities can discuss its personal visa coverage. That is not one thing I will weigh in on right here,” stated US State Division deputy spokesman Vedant Patel.
“Broadly talking, we’ve got been clear with nations world wide concerning the integral function a free press performs within the material of democracy. That is why we come right here and reply questions frequently. However I am going to let Indian officers do the speaking. with the precise one,” Patel instructed reporters at a press convention, in response to information company PTI.
Avani Dias, head of the South Asia bureau of the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC), left India on April 19, claiming that the Indian authorities denied her an extension of her visa as a result of her reporting “crossed the road.”
“After the Australian authorities intervened, I received an extension of simply two months…lower than 24 hours earlier than my flight,” he stated in a publish on ‘X’.
“We had been additionally instructed that my electoral accreditation wouldn’t arrive as a result of a directive from the Indian Ministry. We left on the primary day of voting within the nationwide elections in what Modi calls ‘the mom of democracy’,” he added.