American Sikh journalist deported after arriving at Delhi airport, no reasons cited
text_fieldsDelhi immigration officials on Wednesday allegedly deported a US citizen and journalist associated with American news and entertainment company Vice from the Delhi airport, claimed his family members in Punjab Thursday.
As per a report by Indian Express, Angad Singh's family alleged that he landed at the Delhi airport at 8:30 pm Wednesday and was deported to the US within three hours. They claimed that Singh had come to India for a family reunion and was sent back because of his work.
A family member alleged that Angad's documentary on the Shaheen Bagh protest must have made the government upset.
He also added that Angad's request for a visa as a journalist to make a documentary on Dalits in India was rejected recently.
In a Facebook post, his mother Gurmeet Kaur, a writer, said that her son's award winning journalism scares the government.
"Today, my son an American citizen who travelled 18 hours to Delhi to visit us in Punjab, was deported. He was put on the next flight back to New York. They didn't give a reason. But we know it is his award-winning journalism that scares them. It is the stories he did and the stories he is capable of. It is the love for his motherland that they can't stand."
"He is 6'5" tall. His back hurts after long flights in such small spaces. He must be wanting to lay down. I wish you Chardi Kala, my boy. It's not easy to be a Sikh, a Gursikh on top, a journalist, a warrior of truth and justice. Speaking the truth has a price. We must pay for it."
Singh was born and brought up in the US and frequently visits Punjab, said family members.