The Indian government has asked three journalists of the Chinese state news agency, Xinhua, to leave the country by refusing to renew their visas to work in the country. There has been no official reason given from the Indian government but a report by the Hindu say the journalists have been marked under “adverse attention of security agencies” for allegedly indulging in activities beyond their journalistic brief.
The incident is being speculated to be a revenge action from India against China’s opposition towards India’s bid to join the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group or NSG last month. China’s media has said that India will face “serious consequences” if it happens to be a revenge action from India government against China.
The three journalists of the Chinese government mouth piece have been ordered to leave India by July 31. “The agency can replace them with others. There is nothing here to construe that Xinhua has to wind up its news operations in India,” reported as a source saying by Hindustan Times to clarify that India is not against Xinhua journalists.
The three journalists are Wu Qiang, Lu Tang, heads of Xinhua’s bureau in New Delhi and Mumbai respectively and She Yonggang, a reporter based in Mumbai.
More important speculation according to various reports for the denial of renewing their visas is being stated that the journalists had met the exiled Tibetan activists in Bangalore, South India. The report on the NDTV is quoted as “Some Indian media claimed that the three journalists are suspected of impersonating other people to access several restricted departments in Delhi and Mumbai with fake names. There were also reports attributing it to the journalists’ meeting with exiled Tibetan activists”
The Chinese media has responded furiously over the issue stating as “We at least should make a few Indians feel Chinese visas are also not easy to get,”.
The wire also reported about the Indian government sources as saying “We were giving them these short extensions as they wanted to stay on till their successor was there. But, since their successor were not here even after months, we gave them a cut-off date,” The report quoted as saying the Chinese journalists have already got four extensions previously.
As most reports were stating that the three journalists have been expelled from India, the sources of the agency added that India was not ‘expelling’ the journalists, as Xinhua was not being asked to pack up. “Xinhua is welcome to post new correspondents in Delhi,”.
Photo courtesy: NDTV
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