British MP flays deportation, India says he wanted to ‘create trouble’

New Delhi, July 12

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and British parliamentarian Lord Alexander Carlile were locked in a war of words on Thursday, a day after the international counsel for jailed Bangladesh ex-PM Khaleda Zia was deported from India on landing at the IGI Airport on Wednesday.

Carlile was informed that his e-Visa was revoked and within an hour, the MEA spokesperson issued a statement claiming that his intended purpose of visit was incompatible with reason mentioned in the visa.

Carlile, who was to hold a media interaction at Delhi hotel on Thursday over charges framed against Zia, instead addressed the media via Skype, alleging India was “supinely” agreeing to “intolerable pressure” by Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina government and called it shameful.

“My particular role is to examine the evidence and judgments against her (Zia), and to advise and comment as to whether they fall within international and Common Law Rule of Law norms, which are applicable in Bangladesh,” said Carlile, alleging that the ruling Awami League party had resorted to frivolous cases and torture to keep Zia family and Opposition BNP out of the upcoming General Election in the country.

Justifying its decision to deport Carlile, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said: “We informed him in advance that his visa is not valid. So he came with a return boarding pass. He had two hours before he was to take the flight. The motivation it seems is that he was trying to create some problem between India and Bangladesh and create misunderstanding between India and the Opposition party in Bangladesh.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs contended that British MP wanted to indulge in “political acts” by addressing a press conference here and it was in violation of his visa conditions. — TNS