Hyderabad is set to host the Congress party’s Bharat Summit today, but the two-day gathering has begun under a cloud. Around 113 foreign delegates who were cleared to attend the summit have been barred from entering India, with their visas cancelled at the last minute. The development has triggered a sharp political row on the eve of the event, with the Congress alleging that the Union home ministry stepped in after the foreign ministry had already cleared the guests.
The summit, being held in Hyderabad on November 13 and 14 under the theme “Forging a New World”, is expected to bring together around 1,000 delegates from 70 countries for discussions on the changing global order, cooperative federalism and electoral integrity. But with the event hours away, organisers say a large chunk of the international guest list will not be in the room.
What happened
According to The Wire, around 113 of the 315 speakers whom the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had cleared to attend the summit have been denied entry into India. Sources close to the organisers said the visas of some participants were retrospectively revoked by the Union ministry of home affairs. Around 202 delegates have made it to India so far.
At a press conference on Tuesday, the party’s foreign policy in-charge Salman Khurshid said the summit had obtained political clearance from the MEA.
The case of Helle Lyng
The most prominent name among those barred is Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng Svendsen, who works for the Oslo-based daily Dagsavisen and was invited to speak on a panel on the future of media and press freedom.
Lyng entered the spotlight in India in May, when she asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Norway whether he would “take questions from the freest press in the world”. On Tuesday, she said she received a call from the Indian Embassy minutes before she was to leave for the airport, telling her she would not be allowed to enter the country on orders from the home ministry.
“This is shocking, madness,” Lyng told The Wire. “I have political clearance and a visa because of the political clearance, but it appears that the department of home affairs has decided that I am not allowed to enter India.”
She said embassy officials asked her to visit the office and physically have her visa revoked, which she refused to do. She has appealed directly to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, saying there was still time for her to catch a flight and take her seat on the panel. Lyng has linked the cancellation to her question to the Prime Minister in May and her criticism of the government and industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani.
The Editors Guild of India said it noted with deep concern the last-minute cancellation of the visa issued to Lyng, describing her as an independent journalist.
What the rules say
The dispute turns on who gets to decide on conference visas. Organisers point to the government’s own frequently asked questions for international conferences, which say Indian missions must refer visa cases to the MEA or the home ministry only in certain situations.
Under those rules, a reference is required if participants are from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan, are foreigners of Pakistani origin, or are stateless persons. It is also required if they are to visit restricted areas, including Jammu and Kashmir and parts of the northeast.
“This is egregious as the allocation and rescindment of conference visas does not typically come under the Ministry of Home Affairs,” a person close to the organisers told The Wire. The organisers say none of the listed conditions applied to the summit’s guests.
Reactions and what happens next
The MEA has not immediately responded to the claims, and no formal statement has been issued. The official grounds for the entry denials have not been independently established.
The Congress has called the episode an attempt to shrink the summit’s international character. The party had announced the event as a gathering of global policymakers, former ministers, diplomats and thinkers, with Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge leading the Indian participation.
The summit opens in Hyderabad today and runs through Friday. With more than 200 foreign delegates already in the country, the sessions will go ahead, but the empty chairs will be hard to ignore. Whether the government offers a formal explanation before the summit ends will be watched closely.
FAQs
What is the Bharat Summit?
An international conference organised by the Congress in Hyderabad on November 13 and 14, themed “Forging a New World”, with around 1,000 delegates from 70 countries expected.
How many foreign delegates were barred?
Around 113 of 315 cleared speakers, according to The Wire. Other reports put the figure at 115.
Who is Helle Lyng?
A Norwegian journalist with the Oslo daily Dagsavisen, invited to speak on media freedom. She had questioned PM Modi in Norway in May, and her visa was cancelled hours before her flight.
Why were the visas cancelled?
No official reason has been given. Organisers say the home ministry revoked visas the foreign ministry had cleared.
Is the summit still happening?
Yes. Around 202 foreign delegates have reached India, and the summit opens in Hyderabad today as scheduled.
Informeia will track the sessions and any official response to the visa row as it develops.
