Shashi Tharoor alleges 115 Bharat Summit speakers barred entry to India, their visas cancelled
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Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. File | Photo Credit: PTI
Senior Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor has alleged that 115 of the 315 speakers invited to the second edition of the Bharat Summit in Hyderabad were denied entry into India or had their visas cancelled, “apparently on the instructions of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs”.
Mr. Tharoor, who is in Hyderabad for the Bharat Summit, in a post on social media platforms, questioned the legal basis for the action and said it was unclear under which provision of law the government had taken such a step. He pointed out that the summit would conclude on Saturday (November 14, 2026), making it impossible to reverse the decision in time for the affected participants to attend.
“What a shame that a proud democracy has become so insecure that it must stifle any voices it fears will be critical!” he wrote.
His allegations came in the wake of a Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng claiming that she had been advised by the Indian Embassy not to travel to India despite holding a valid visa to participate in the summit. She works for the Oslo-based newspaper Dagsavisen.
Earlier, Congress MP and Telangana Congress media in-charge Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy had also alleged that nearly 30% of the invitees could not travel to India because of visa-related issues. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to participate in the valedictory session on Saturday.
The controversy has raised questions over the participation of international delegates at the two-day summit, which seeks to bring together nearly 1,000 participants from India and around 70 countries. The event is being held against the backdrop of the 80th year of India’s Independence and the 137th birth anniversary of the country’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
Mr. Tharoor said the summit would also focus on establishing a think tank, ‘Our World Institute’, and creating a platform for dialogue and cooperation between the Global South and the Global North.
The allegations come amid political controversy over the event, with the BJP calling it an “anti-India summit” and accusing Mr. Gandhi of giving a platform to forces opposed to the country’s interests. BJP leaders in Telangana have announced plans to protest against his visit to Hyderabad.
Union Coal Minister G. Kishan Reddy, addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday, termed the Bharat Summit an “anti-India summit”. The BJP alleged the event was meant to bring together forces critical of India and questioned the Congress leadership’s motives for organising it.
Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao questioned the rationale behind holding such an event in the State when the government was facing financial constraints. He accused Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of spending public money to sponsor what he described as anti-India forces, in order to please Mr. Rahul Gandhi.
The BJP’s criticism has added a political dimension to the controversy surrounding the summit, particularly following allegations that several international speakers and invitees were unable to travel to India because of visa-related issues.
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