US embassy says visa denial not linked to Trump order

The American Embassy in New Delhi told the government of India that the denial of US visa to two Kashmiri snowshoers – Tanveer Hussain and Abid Hussain Khan – had nothing to do with the tough stance taken by the new administration in Washington DC on the issue of immigration.

“We have seen reports about the denial of US visas to the two Kashmiri sports persons. The US Embassy in Delhi has categorically denied that it has any linkage to the Executive Order (by US President Donald Trump),” said Vikas Swarup, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs. “We have also been told that it was a standard adjudication based on the merits of the case,” said Swarup.

Hussain and Khan were scheduled to take part in World Snowshoe Championships to be held at Saranac Lake village in New York on February 24-25. Their applications for US visa were turned down by the consular officials of the American Embassy in New Delhi. It came close on the heels of executive order issued by US President Donald Trump to restrict immigration from seven Muslim countries to America.

The US embassy in New Delhi, however, said that the visa denial was not linked to the executive order issued by American President. New Delhi is also concerned over Trump Administration's move to overhaul H1B visa regime and its implications on Indian Information Technology companies and professionals.