Australian broadcaster’s Indian bureau chief leaves India ‘suddenly’ after being refused visa

The director of the Australian News Agency in New Delhi said she had to leave India “suddenly” after government officials refused to extend her visa. The disclosure by journalist Avani Dias was made when she and her team at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) were questioned by criminal intelligence officers while they were producing a program about the alleged targeted assassinations of pro-Khalistani rebels by the Indian government. It was done after receiving. Western separatists. Sources here have described her interpretation as “misleading”.

“Last week, I suddenly had to leave India. The Modi government told me that they were refusing to extend my visa because my report was “crossing the line.” After intervention by the Australian government, a mere two-month extension was obtained, less than 24 hours before his flight. I was also told that my election could not be certified due to instructions from the Department of Indian Affairs,” Diaz said in a post on X.

“Mother of Democracy”

“We left on the first day of voting in the national elections that Prime Minister Modi calls the ‘mother of democracy,'” Dias said in the same post.

The Australian journalist was a foreigner working in New Delhi as ABC bureau chief on a J1 (journalist) visa. Her visa was due to expire on April 20th, and she applied for an extension on January 1st. However, her Indian visa renewal process coincided with ABC reporting on the situation in Punjab. hinduism has learned from sources connected to this development that Diaz and his crew were “intimidated and pressured” by government officials and were questioned by Criminal Intelligence Service officials about their reporting plans during this time. It is said that he even received it. YouTube then blocked ABC’s coverage of the June 2023 murder of pro-Khalistani figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. YouTube notified ABC that it had received a deletion order from the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Sikhs, spies and murder: Investigating India’s alleged attacks on foreign territory.

Australian crew members were investigating a report into the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar when they visited his parents’ home and met with representatives of a Sikh separatist group in Punjab state. Diaz was later informed that the study had “crossed a line that no one has ever crossed before.” Diaz has also gained attention after her own podcast, “Looking for Modi,” was widely shared online. In the documentary, Ms. Dias examines Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity and reports of a crackdown on dissent in India. Previously, the Australian broadcaster faced trouble and a raid from tax authorities after airing a documentary titled: India: Prime Minister Modi’s Questions It examined the performance of the Indian Prime Minister.

Security rules violated

However, government officials said Diaz’s sudden departure came as a surprise, citing the fact that the reporter had paid the visa extension fee himself the day before his departure, and that the extension had been granted before Diaz’s departure. . In addition, the source said that Ms. Dias was found to have violated Border Guard security standards while filming at the Ouagah border and the border. ABC The film crew did not follow visa standards for documentary production while in India.

The issue of extending her visa was being discussed between journalists, the MHA, the MEA and the Australian High Commission. Sources said the government had informed him that his visa extension would be granted in early April. They also called her version of events “misleading and mischievous.” “MS. Ms. Diaz was found to have violated visa rules during her work. Nevertheless, at her request, it was ensured that her visa was extended for coverage of the general election.” said an official. India also disputed her claim that she was not authorized to report on the election, calling it “factually incorrect.”

“Covering of election activities outside the booth is permitted for all journalist visa holders. Certificates of authority are only required for access to polling and counting stations. However, during the visa extension process We can’t process this,” the official elaborated, adding that two other journalists working for the same Australian news organization had “received the letter.”