India is outraged and has alleged discrimination after Canada refused visas to several Indian officers citing grounds ranging from human rights violation to terrorism. The latest is the case of an Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer being denied a visa.
"We take this matter very, very seriously, that's what I want to say. Of course, the Canadian Foreign Minister has in a public statement stated that Canada has the highest regard for India's democratic institutions and processes and also respect for India's armed forces and related institutions. But let me once again say we did take up the matter, we expressed serious concern and we continue to take this matter very seriously," Foreign Secretary, Nirupama Rao has said.
The Canadian High Commission has done this before. In March, a retired official, SS Sidhu, who wanted to visit his son and had been to Canada twice before, was refused visa. He was told by the Canadian High Commission that he was a threat to nationals there and his job was such that Canada couldn't afford the risk.
The latest incident, government sources told PTI, involved an Intelligence Bureau officer who was to visit Canada ahead of the trip of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the later part of June for the G-20 summit.
The officer was denied a visa reportedly on the ground that he was associated with a spy agency and was issued an emergency certificate instead, prompting the Home Ministry to write a letter to the External Affairs Ministry voicing its concerns on the issue, the sources said.
The MEA in turn summoned the Canadian High Commissioner and took up the matter with him, they said.
The Canadian authorities were told that India considers this a "discriminatory" attitude towards the Indian security agencies and also told firmly that Canadian nationals working in war-ravaged Afghanistan, may also face similar problems if such discrimination did not come to an end, the sources said.
The incident also comes close on the heels of the Canadian mission triggering a row by refusing visa to a retired BSF constable citing his association with a "notoriously violent" force which indulges in "systematic attack" and "systematic torture" of suspected criminals.
Others turned away earlier include three serving Army officers. There have been such instances in the last few years as well:
Retired Lt Gen and former DG of Military Operations, A S Bahia was denied visa by Canada in 2008.
Retired Lt Gen O P Nandrajog and a retired BSF head constable Fateh Singh Pandher were also denied visa.
Canada says it can deny visas to those who worked for organizations guilty of human rights violations.
New Delhi/Hyderabad: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has given a call for strike on Monday in Andhra Pradesh against the denial of permission by the Maharashtra government to its leaders to visit the Babli project on Godavari river, which the party says will deprive Andhra farmers of water.
"We have given a call for hartal (strike). They (Maharashtra government) should allow us to visit Babli and 13 other projects along with the media," TDP MP Nama Nageswar Rao told IANS over telephone.
Rao, who was on Saturday sent to two-day judicial custody in Nanded district of Maharashtra along with party chief N Chandrababu Naidu, said that they had decided not to seek bail as they had not committed any crime.
He said the party leaders had entered Maharashtra after they were given an assurance by police that the senior party leaders will be taken to Babli project. "They told us that only leaders will be allowed," he said.
Tension prevails on Andhra-Maharashtra border
Rao, who is leader of the TDP parliamentary party, said they wanted to see Babli project ahead of the July 23 meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh concerning the controversial project. An all-party delegation from Andhra Pradesh is expected to meet the prime minister on July 23.
The TDP leader denied Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan's allegations that his party's yatra was aimed at political gains - a reference to the 12 assembly by-elections in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh on July 27.
"This is totally wrong. When we came to Delhi (last month to meet Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal) no by-election had been announced. The protest against the project has not started today," Rao said, adding that the project "will impact Telangana directly and affect irrigation in 18 lakh acres in the region".
He said that the people in the state were already observing hartal (strike) over the denial of permission to party leaders to visit the Babli project.
Rao said that the party leaders sent to judicial custody will not seek bail as they had not done anything wrong.
He said that the the leaders including MPs, legislators and members of legislative council were not treated properly by the Maharashtra officials.
The TDP leader said that initially there was one bathroom for the party leaders taken into custody and they had to suffer power cuts.
Naidu and his party colleagues were on Saturday sent to judicial custody for two days by a magistrate in Dharmabad town of Nanded district in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra parties want Naidu to withdraw protest
The TDP leaders, who were arrested Friday for trying to enter the state despite ban orders, are likely to be kept at Dharmabad Industrial Training Institute (ITI) till July 19.
Police have refused to allow Naidu and other leaders to visit the Babli project being built by Maharashtra across Godavari River.
All About: Topnews, Andhra Pradesh, TDP, Shutdown, Babli project, N Chandrababu Naidu, Nama Nageswar
Hyderabad: Congress MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy on Sunday termed as 'painful' the suspension of his close aide Ambati Rambabu from the party.
He told reporters during his 'Odarpu yatra' in East Godavari district that he would take up the issue with the party's central leadership.
Veerappa Moily, Congress general secretary in charge of party affairs in Andhra Pradesh, announced Rambabu's suspension Saturday night. Rambabu, general secretary of the party's state unit, has been suspended for making certain remarks against Chief Minister K. Rosaiah.
Many party workers joining yatra despite restrictions: Jagan
While criticising the chief minister for asking ministers and legislators not to join Jagan's yatra, Rambabu had allegedly remarked that Rosaiah should be indebted to late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's family for becoming the chief minister.
'The suspension of Mr.Rambabu has pained me,' said Jagan, who continued his yatra for the seventh day against the wishes of party president Sonia Gandhi.
During the yatra, the Kadapa MP is consoling the families of those who died of shock following his father YSR's death in a helicopter crash last year.
'What mistake have I committed that they will give a warning to me?' quipped Jagan when a reporter asked if Rambabu's suspension was a warning signal to those supporting him.
'The blessings of God and my late father are with those who are with me,' he said and recalled that Rambabu had accompanied his father during his 1,500-km long 'padyatra' across the state in 2003.
Meanwhile, Rambabu said in Hyderabad that he had not received any communication from party leadership about his suspension. He pointed out that the party allows two weeks time for replying to a show cause notice. The notice on Rambabu was served July 9.
No disciplinary action against Jagan: Moily
The Congress leadership in Delhi issued a statement Saturday night, announcing Rambabu's suspension. Jagan loyalists ask how he could be suspended when he still had time to reply.
Moily, who had visited Hyderabad Friday, had ruled out any disciplinary action against Jagan saying 'Odarpu yatra' was his personal move.
