Travel ban on many overseas Sikhs removed

New Delhi: Apparently bowing to pressure from ally Akali Dal ahead of next year's Punjab polls, the Modi government has lifted travel bans imposed on a number of overseas Sikhs, who were allegedly involved in subversive activities in 1980s and 1990s and kept on watch list.

The blacklist, which was prepared at different levels by security agencies, has been maintained by the government on mostly Indian-origin people allegedly involved in subversive or anti-India activities abroad. Such people, whose names figure in the blacklist, are barred from visiting India. Some names have been removed from the blacklist after detailed discussions, a home ministry official said.

Reportedly, Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal wrote a letter urging PM Modi to remove names of 36 Sikhs settled overseas from the travel ban.