Indian-American activist Kshama Sawant denied visa, calls it political retaliation
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Seattle: Indian-American activist and former Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant has been denied a visa to visit her ailing mother in Bengaluru, Karnataka,
She claimed the move is an act of political retaliation by the Indian government.
Sawant, a vocal critic of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies, has had her visa applications rejected twice, despite applying for both an e-visa and an emergency entry visa since May 2023. The Ministry of External Affairs has not provided any explanation for the denials.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Sawant accused the Modi government of targeting activists and journalists.
"I am not alone. Modi has denied or revoked entry to other activists and journalists. My socialist Seattle City Council office took a firm stand against India’s right-wing, anti-worker, anti-Muslim government. Modi and the BJP have consistently attacked workers, farmers, Muslims, and oppressed groups, including through the discriminatory CAA-NRC law," she wrote.
Sawant further called on workers and the global Left to resist the right-wing establishment and fight against repression of activists and immigrants worldwide.
Sawant’s 82-year-old mother, Vasundhara Ramanujam, has been unwell for the past two years, and Sawant has been making efforts to visit her. However, her repeated visa applications have been denied without any official explanation.
Following the denials, Sawant’s supporters have launched an online petition urging the Indian government to grant her a visa. She is also exploring legal options to challenge the decision.
Sawant’s case has sparked widespread outrage, highlighting a pattern of visa and citizenship revocations against government critics in recent years.
Nitasha Kaul, a London-based academic and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI), was denied entry at Bengaluru airport in February 2023. Ashok Swain, a Sweden-based professor, had his OCI status cancelled in 2023, allegedly due to his criticism of the Modi administration. Aatish Taseer, a writer and journalist, lost his OCI status in 2019 after penning a Time Magazine cover story titled “India’s Divider in Chief,” which criticised Modi’s leadership.