Visa Denials For Foreign Speakers At Hyderabad Summit Spark Political Clash

Several international speakers invited to a major gathering in Hyderabad have faced visa cancellations or entry bans by central authorities. Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy stated that the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs stopped people who question Prime Minister Narendra Modi from entering the country. While the Chief Minister did not specify the exact total, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor claimed that 115 out of 315 invited speakers were blocked from reaching India.

Reactions And Denials

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor questioned the legal basis of the government action and noted that the event concludes on Saturday, leaving no time to reverse the decision. Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, another Congress MP and media in-charge for the state party, earlier estimated that nearly thirty percent of invitees faced visa troubles. Responding to the claims, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that visa matters are sovereign functions of any government. Meanwhile, Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng, who writes for the Oslo-based newspaper Dagsavisen and was scheduled to speak on press freedom, stated that the Indian Embassy advised her not to travel despite holding a valid visa, pointing to orders from above in the Home Ministry.

Summit Details

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy defended the event, explaining that it serves as a precursor to the Invest Telangana Global Summit scheduled for December. Former Union minister Salman Khurshid added that the program aims to establish Hyderabad as a hub for global discussion similar to Davos. The gathering features around one thousand participants from India and seventy other countries, addressing topics from climate change to investment, alongside plans to launch a think tank named Our World Institute. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to attend the valedictory session on Saturday to unveil a gig and platform workers policy.

Political Row

The ruling party at the Centre strongly criticized the event, with Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy and Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao labeling it an anti-India summit. The BJP accused the state leadership of spending public money to sponsor forces critical of the country and announced plans to protest Rahul Gandhi's visit.

Context

Visa issuance and international border entries are sovereign rights managed by national governments, meaning foreign nationals do not have an absolute right of entry. High-profile international conferences frequently become sites of political disagreement between regional administrations and central authorities over guest lists and diplomatic clearances.