New Delhi: Has India retaliated against China for Beijing’s decision to block New Delhi’s move at the UN to get terror outfit JeM’s chief Masood Azhar, banned by the world body?
Reports of an invitation with grant of an Indian visa to a leading Chinese dissident and Uyghur activist to participate in a conference in Dharamsala could trigger a diplomatic stand-off between India and China. The ministry of external affairs said it was ascertaining the facts of the case but refused to comment further.
According to agency reports, Dolkun Isa, a leader of the World Uyghur Congress who lives in Germany, has been invited to the conference being organised by the US-based ‘Initiatives for China’. Uyghurs and Chinese dissidents in exi-le are expected to attend and discuss democratic transformation in China.
China’s unhappiness about reports that Dolkun has been given an Indian visa was reflected in Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying being quoted in Beijing as saying: “What I want to point out is that Dolkun is a terrorist in red notice of the Interpol and Chinese police (sic). Bringing him to justice is due obligation of relevant countries.”
Visa to Dolkun seen as retaliation
When asked about the grant of Indian visa to Dolkun Isa, a leader of the World Uyghur Congress, an MEA spokesperson on Friday said, “We have seen the media reports and the external affairs ministry is trying to ascertain the facts.”
India’s purported decision to permit WUC leaders — whom China regards as backers of terrorism in its volatile Muslim-dominated Xinjiang province — to visit was being interpreted in some quarters as a retaliatory response to Beijing’s actions at the UN, but a government source in New Delhi said such an interpretation may not be accurate pending the ascertaining of facts by the MEA.
There was also some confusion whether Dolkun had received a tourist visa that would not entitle him to attend a conference. Meanwhile, Dolkun was quoted by media reports as saying he had already been granted a visa by the Indian government for the conference but that he would take a final call only after assessing his security in India as China had got Interpol to issue a red corner notice against him.
India has already expressed its ire with China over the Chinese action at the UN on the Masood Azhar issue. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar had recently told the Chinese leadership in Beijing that “there cannot be differentiation in terrorists”.
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had also taken up the matter recently with her Chinese counterpart. National security adviser Ajit Doval had also recently visited China and held discussions with top Chinese functionaries on the boundary issue and the situation at the Line of Actual Control.
