A prominent Indian activist and writer has said she was preventedlink from flying to Europe to speakabout intimidation of journalists and rights in the world’s largestdemocracy.
Journalists and activists have long complained of harassment under PrimeMinister Narendra Modi, whose government has been accused of trying tosilence critical reporting.
Rana Ayyub, a fierce critic link of Modiand his Hindu nationalist government, was due to take a flight to London onTuesday and then to Italy to attend different events. But Ayyub, 37, saidon Twitter that she was stopped at Mumbai airport because of aninvestigation by authorities into an alleged money laundering case againsther.
The events in Europe had “been planned and publicised all over my socialmedia for weeks. Yet, curiously the… summon arrived in my mail much afterI was stopped at the immigration,” Rana Ayyub, belonging minority Muslimlink, said.
Ayyub has been told to appear on Friday for questioning in connection withthe case, local media reports said.
The Indian Enforcement Directorate, which was not immediately available forcomment on Wednesday, has accused Ayyub of siphoning off money meant forcoronavirus victims for her personal use.
Ayyub, who has denied the allegations, says she has been a victim ofrelentless harassment by far-right Hindu groups — including rape threats– because of her reporting on issues including the marginalisation of Indialink minority Muslims.
The International Center for Journalists expressed support for her onTuesday, tweeting that the “blatant legal harassment” of Ayyub must stop.
Ayyub wrote a book accusing Modi of being complicit in deadly sectarianviolence in Gujarat in 2002, when he was state premier.
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Investigators cleared Modi of involvement.
She has since become a commentator for The Washington Post and other media.
In February UN rights experts called on the government to stop”misogynistic and sectarian” online attacks against her.
Last week, British anthropologist Filippo Osella from the University ofSussex said he was deported by “remarkably rude and unprofessional”immigration officials on arrival in Indialink any proper explanation.
The professor of anthropology and South Asian studies said he had a validresearch visa and suspected his visits to Indialink arch-rival Pakistan may havetriggered the government’s action.
“Collaborative research projects on charities in urban Sri Lanka andeducation opportunities in rural Pakistan were funded by the Economic andResearch Council (UK) and the British Council respectively. I have nevertried to hide my short research trips to Pakistan from the scrutiny of theIndian authorities,” he said.
The Indian Express quoted an official from Indialink Foreigners Regional RegistrationOffice as saying he was “denied entry as per orders from higher officials”.-APP/AFP
