Debbi Abrahams, a British Member of Parliament from the opposition Labour Party, was denied entry into India on Monday, and subsequently deported to Dubai. MP Abrahams is the Chair of a Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir and has vehemently criticised the Indian government over the issue.
Kashmir is a contested territory claimed by both, India and Pakistan. In August last year, the Indian government revoked Article 370 of the Indian constitution that granted special status and a certain degree of autonomy to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. This was achieved by deploying additional troops and imposing internet bans to cut off communication channels. While the international community has been extremely critical, the move was widely accepted in India.
Following the Indian government's decision, Abrahams wrote to the UK foreign secretary in August showing “grave concern” about the action as it had "betrayed the trust of the people of Jammu and Kashmir."
In a statement, Abrahams said that she believes her condemnation of the Indian government’s tactics in Kashmir to be the reason for her deportation. She also said that denying entry of critical law-makers was "the sign of a very unhealthy democracy and everybody should be very concerned".
Abrahams has said that she had no plans to visit Kashmir during the visit to India and was merely visiting family and friends in New Delhi. However, she planned to consequently visit Islamabad to discuss the growing uncertainties surrounding the issue. She was travelling on an e-Visa that permitted her to "attend technical/business meetings" and would expire in October 2020.
An Indian government official has said that "a previously issued e-Business visa meant for business meetings can't be used for visiting family and friends, as claimed by her". Further, Abrahams' visa, as alleged by Indian officials, had been cancelled due to "activities which went against India's national interests" and its "rejected" status had been communicated to her on Friday.
Image Source: The Independent