It is Government of India which decides who gets Visa to enter the country

Avani Dias, an Australian journalist, claimed that she was not allowed to cover the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and was compelled to leave the country.

Avani Dias, An Australian journalist, violated Indian visa rules.

The USA for a change rebuked a Pakistani reporter’s questions on “ complaint “ of an Australian journalist’s claims not allowed to cover Indian general elections and said that the country determines which non-citizens it allows to enter, either as short-term travellers or international journalists.

Responding to a question by a Pakistani complaint of denial of visa renewal to Australian journalist, Avani Dias, US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said, “The Government of India can speak to its own visa policy. That’s not something I’m going to opine on from here.”

Patel further emphasised the role of the free press in the fabric of democracy. Absolutely right but a distorted biased covering which influences thinking of people especially elections cannot be permitted under any circumstances.

“Broadly, we have been clear with countries around the world about the integral role that a free press plays in the fabric of democracy. That’s why we come up here and take questions regularly. But I will let the officials in India speak,” he said…..India will certainly not tolerate any unwarranted comments on its internal matters.

Avani Dias, an Australian journalist, claimed that she was not allowed to cover the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and was compelled to leave the country. She has no right as a foreigner to visit India or cover Indian elections and even her claims are not correct, they are misleading and mischievous in nature.

Avani Dias, South Asia Correspondent of Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) was found to have violated visa rules while undertaking her professional pursuits in India. Such illegal activities are punishable under the law of the land.

Moreover, the sources emphasised that Avani Dias’s claims about not being permitted to cover elections are also factually incorrect, adding that covering election activities outside of booths is permitted to all visa-holder journalists.

Though when she made a fresh request, Ms Dias was assured that her visa would be extended for the coverage of the general elections and it was done.

During the press briefing, Mr Patel also denied making any remark on the internal investigation report by the Indian Government on the alleged assassination plot of American / Canadian terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

He said, “I’m not aware of the report that you’re referencing. This is ultimately a Department of Justice matter and I will defer to them and let them speak to this.”

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is an American terrorist who has been designated a terrorist by Home Ministry of India. He holds American and Canadian citizenship. He has repeatedly issued threats against India.

As per the US Justice Department indictment, an Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, who is currently in illegal custody, has been charged with the murder-for-hire of Pannun. The US Justice Department had made a preposterous claim that an Indian government employee, who was not identified in the indictment filed, had recruited Gupta to hire a hitman to allegedly assassinate American terrorist Pannun, which was foiled by US authorities.