The central government told the Delhi High Court yesterday that it has “not initiated any proceedings as of now” to cancel journalist Angad Singh’s OCI card, Indian Express reported.
The government said it would file a “detailed response” in the matter, to which the court directed that a “counter affidavit be now filed to the amended petition”.
The hearing in question was Singh’s plea challenging his alleged “blacklisting” from entering India on his OCI card. Singh, a journalist with Vice, had been denied entry to India in August last year and was deported back to the United States. His family alleged the Indian government was “upset” due to Singh’s work on India Burning, a Vice documentary on the citizenship law protests.
Singh then moved the Delhi High Court challenging his deportation.
In a counter-affidavit, the home ministry in January said Singh was a “blacklist subject” because “his documentary India Burning presented a very negative view of India’s secular credentials”. As reported by Indian Express, it said: “He misrepresented facts in his visa application filed for obtaining a journalist visa in the year 2020 and has indulged in blatant anti-national propaganda to defame the country.”
The Delhi High Court has now listed the matter for hearing in May.
In 2021, the government modified OCI rules so cardholders wanting to visit for journalism would now have to obtain special permission to do so. Last week, Kanchan Gupta, a senior advisor with the I&B ministry, told Newslaundry that Singh had abused his status and the previous rule which allowed all OCIs to report from India.
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