Despite India’s global claims of being a democracy, a controversy has emerged over the barring of 115 foreign speakers from attending an international democracy summit, sparking a fresh debate over the Modi government’s policies, freedom of expression and its tolerance of political dissent.
The move has drawn strong criticism from opposition party Congress and journalistic circles. According to senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, out of 315 international speakers who had received clearance from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, 115 were denied entry into India or had their visas cancelled.
The development comes as India is hosting a two-day Democracy Summit. Delegates from around the world were invited to the event to discuss important issues, including democratic systems, freedom of expression and the role of the media.
Why were 115 speakers barred from attending?
Congress leader and former senior United Nations official Shashi Tharoor raised questions over the matter, saying that the decision to block such a large number of foreign speakers despite approval from the Ministry of External Affairs was concerning.
According to him, these actions were apparently taken on the instructions of the Ministry of Home Affairs. He questioned the government over the legal authority under which previously approved visas were cancelled and foreign participants were denied entry.
In a statement posted on social media platform X on Friday, Shashi Tharoor said it was unfortunate that a democracy which takes pride in its democratic identity appeared so insecure when it came to critical voices.
He also questioned the legal justification for the visa cancellations and sought clarification on the law under which the government had taken the decision.
Journalist who questioned Modi also has her visa cancelled
The case of Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng has also attracted particular attention in the controversy. She had been invited to speak at the Democracy Summit on media and press freedom. However, her visa was cancelled shortly before she was due to travel to India.
According to reports, Helle Lyng had questioned Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a press briefing held in Oslo in May this year, when he was visiting Norway.
The timing of the journalist’s visa cancellation has further intensified the debate over whether international journalists and speakers who criticise government policies are also facing difficulties in India.
Editors Guild also raises concerns
The Indian journalists’ organisation, the Editors Guild of India, has expressed serious concerns over the cancellation of visas.
The organisation described the move as an overreach of bureaucratic powers and urged the government to make the reasons for cancelling the visas public and reconsider its decision.
The organisation’s response has expanded the controversy beyond visa cancellations, bringing the issues of press freedom and opportunities for freedom of expression at international forums into focus.
Global democratic claims and government decisions under scrutiny
The incident has once again brought questions about India’s democratic reputation into the spotlight. On the one hand, India presents itself internationally as the world’s largest democracy, while on the other, reports have emerged of a large number of invited participants being prevented from attending an international event dedicated to democracy.
Opposition leaders and journalistic circles have viewed the decision in the context of freedom of expression and the space available for dissent.
The two-day Democracy Summit began on Friday in Hyderabad, with around 1,000 delegates from more than 70 countries expected to attend or reported to be participating.
Thus, India, which is hosting an international debate on democracy and freedom of expression, is now facing questions over its own visa decisions and restrictions on the participation of foreign speakers.
