British MP critical of government's decisions on Kashmir denied entry into India

British MP Debbie Abrahams, who is critical of the government’s stance on Kashmir claimed on Monday that she had been refused entry into India and was waiting to be deported after she was told upon her arrival at the Delhi airport that her e-visa had been turned down.

Debbie, a Member of the British Parliament and chairs a British Parliamentary group on Kashmir, has stated in her statement that she was ‘treated like a criminal’ and was taken to a deportee cell.

Debbie Abrahams stated that she landed around 8.50 am, she was asked by the airport officials that her e-visa issued last October had been rejected.

"Along with everyone else, I presented myself at the immigration desk with my documents including my e-visa, had my photograph taken and then the official looked at his screen and started shaking his head. Then he told me my visa was rejected, took my passport and disappeared for about 10 minutes. When he came back he was very rude and aggressive, shouting at me to 'come with me'," said the British MP in a statement.

"I told him not to speak to me like that and was then taken to a cordoned off area marked as a Deportee Cell. He then ordered me to sit down and I refused. I didn't know what they might do or where else they may take me, so I wanted people to see me."

The British MP said that she called a relative she was supposed to stay with, and he rang the British High Commission to figure out was was going on. She also said that she asked about a visa on arrival, but got no response.

"Even the person who seemed to be in charge said he didn't know and was really sorry about what had happened. So now I am just waiting to be deported... unless the Indian Government has a change of heart. I'm prepared to let the fact that I've been treated like a criminal go, and I hope they will let me visit my family and friends," Ms Abrahams said.

On her Twitter handle, Debbie Abrahams had shared a letter she seemingly wrote on 5th August 2019, the day the Indian government revoked Article 370 and placed several restriction to avoid any violence.

The MP stated as the chair of a group on Kashmir, she had written to the Indian representative in the UK expressing serious concerns on the Article 370 move.

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Also Read: Article 370: 2019, a year that reshaped Jammu and Kashmir