West Bengal minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury denied visa by Bangladesh
Bangladesh has denied a visa to a minister of Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal, but the reasons behind this development are not yet clear. Siddiqullah Chowdhury, who is the state president of Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind (JUH), had planned a trip from December 26 to 31 and was supposed to address a program there. But with his plans foiled, he canceled his tickets today. Here's more.
Gave all documents but didn't get visa: Chowdhury
On Wednesday, Chowdhury gave details about his application. He had submitted the relevant papers on December 12-13 but didn't receive the visa till yesterday. "I have all the required documents and necessary permission both from the state and central governments," he told PTI. Apart from the program he was meant to address, Chowdhury also had some personal commitments to take care of.
Denied visa, Chowdhury said he would speak to Banerjee
Expressing displeasure, Chowdhury, the minister for library service, said he would take up the matter with Banerjee. He said Bangladesh and India have good relations, so this turn is truly unfortunate. A senior Trinamool leader also said this was uncalled for. "It's really shocking to see that Bangladesh has denied a visa to a minister from West Bengal," the unnamed leader told the agency.
As Bangladesh remained mum, some linked this development to CAA
Though some reports connected this turn of events to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), nothing has been confirmed. Especially since Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner Toufique Hasan has not commented on the matter. To note, Bangladesh and India's ties hit a sour note after New Delhi opened its arms for persecuted religious minorities from the country. Dhaka saw this as an attack on their values.
Critical of CAA, Chowdhury earlier promised to "stop" Amit Shah
Speaking of CAA, it's pertinent to highlight that Chowdhury is a staunch critic of both the new citizenship law and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Not long ago, he said Union Home Minister Amit Shah would not be allowed to step out of Kolkata Airport if the law is not withdrawn. "We may gather one lakh people there to stop him," he said.
