India blocked more than 100 international speakers from attending a democracy summit organised by the opposition Congress party on Friday.
Shashi Tharoor, a Congress member of parliament and former senior United Nations official, said authorities refused entry or cancelled the visas of 115 individuals. The foreign ministry had initially cleared 315 speakers for the event.
Tharoor stated that the subsequent visa denials happened on the instructions of the home ministry. "It is completely unclear under what provision of law the government has taken such a drastic step," Tharoor wrote on the social media platform X.
"What a shame that a proud democracy has become so insecure that it must stifle any voices it fears will be critical!" he added.
Among those denied visas was a Norwegian journalist who had previously questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi about press freedom. Helle Lyng stated on Wednesday that her visa was cancelled shortly before her scheduled travel to India. She had been invited to speak on media and press freedom at the gathering, having previously questioned Modi at a press briefing during his visit to Oslo in May.
Asked about the denials, a foreign ministry spokesperson said that visa matters are sovereign functions of any country or government.
The Editors Guild of India condemned the cancellation. The guild described the move as bureaucratic overreach, calling on the government to disclose its reasons and reverse the decision.
The two-day summit opened on Friday in Hyderabad. The event brings together around 1,000 delegates from more than 70 countries to discuss democracy, climate change, artificial intelligence and global cooperation.
