Debbie Abrahams indulged in anti-India activities: Govt official on denying British MP entry

Debbie Abrahams was deported on Monday soon after she landed in Delhi for a two-day visit with the officials saying that she entered the country without a valid visa

A day after British MP Debbie Abrahams was denied entry into India, government officials on Tuesday said that her visa was revoked last week due to her indulging in activities "which went against India's national interest".

Labour Party MP Abrahams, a vocal critic of Narendra Modi government's move to scrap special status for Jammu and Kashmir, was deported on Monday soon after she landed in Delhi for a two-day visit with the officials saying that she entered the country without a valid visa.

"The facts are grant, rejection, revocation of visa/electronic travel authorisation is the sovereign right of any country. Debbie Abrahams was issued an e-Business Visa on 7 October, 2019, valid till 5 October, 2020 to attend business meetings. Her e-Business Visa was revoked on 14 February, 2020 on account of her indulging in activities which went against India's national interest," a senior government official said.

Abrahams, who also chairs a Parliamentary Group for Kashmir, tweeted, "very disappointing that a friend can't respectfully criticise another friend. Isn't this the sign of a healthy democracy?" Earlier, Abrahams had written to India's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, criticising the move on Article 370 saying it "betrays the trust of the people" of Kashmir.

"Again, for clarity, I am pro-human rights and social justice. I will always speak up for people who are not afforded these rights including Kashmiris on both sides of the line of control," she said in a separate tweet adding the "key questions are why was it revoked and when". Abrahams also tweeted the e-visa issued to her.

On Tuesday, officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said she was informed that her e-visa on arrival had been cancelled even before she flew to India. Despite this, they said, she flew into the country.

The issue also brought differences within the Congress with senior Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Singhvi supporting the government decision to deny entry to Abrahams, describing as a Pakistan "proxy" who is close to the Pakistan government and the ISI.

"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," he tweeted.

However on Monday, senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor came out against the government saying the conduct was "really unworthy of a democracy and guaranteed to give us a far worse press than if she had been admitted".

"Government claims situation is normal in Kashmir. Why is the government then so scared of critics? If things are fine in Kashmir, shouldn't the government encourage critics to witness the situation themselves to put their fears to rest? Instead of conducting tours for pliant MEPs and polite Ambassadors alone, surely the head of a Parliamentary Group on the subject is worth cultivating?" he had tweeted.