Sources Disavow Journalist’s Allegation That She Was Requested To Depart From India
“Not correct, misleading, and mischievous” are the words used by sources in the Union administration to describe the assertions made by an Australian senior journalist who was forced to leave India on the day of the first round of the Lok Sabha elections due to the denial of her visa extension.
According to the sources, despite being told that her visa would be renewed so she could cover the elections, she broke the regulations.
Australian journalist Avani Dias, who heads ABC News’ South Asia Bureau, announced on social media that she will be departing India on Friday, April 19.
I had to leave India suddenly last week. According to the Modi government, my reporting “crossed a line,” which is why they informed me that my visa renewal would be refused. Ms. Dias said on Instagram, “I received a meager two-month extension… less than twenty-four hours before our flight… after the Australian government intervened.”
She went on to say that she and her boyfriend were forced to depart on the first day of voting after being informed that their election credentials would not be processed due to a direction from the Indian Ministry.
A source responded with a forceful statement: “The contention of Avani Dias, South Asia correspondent of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, that she was not allowed to cover elections and was compelled to leave the country is not correct, misleading, and mischievous.”
It was determined that Ms. Dias had broken the regulations of her visa while working. Regardless, she was promised an extension of her visa to cover the general elections upon her request. She had a valid visa until April 20, 2024, according to the source.
