A top journalist at Australia’s national broadcaster says she was effectively expelled from India after her reporting on Sikh separatism angered the Indian government, accusing authorities of stopping her from attending events, trying to have her reports withdrawn and refusing for weeks to renew them. her visa.
Avani Dias, South Asia correspondent for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, said in social media that Indian officials told her last month that her resident journalist visa extension application would not be approved because a television segment she had produced on allegations that India was responsible for the murder of a Sikh activist in Canada had “crossed the line.” ”.
He was ultimately granted a temporary visa extension at the last minute after pressure from the Australian government, less than a day before his scheduled departure from the country, Dias said on his podcast, “Looking for Modi.” But he said he ultimately decided to leave because he “found it too difficult to do my job in India.”
“I was struggling to participate in public events organized by Modi’s party,” Dias said on the podcast.
The Indian government has disputed Ms. Dias’ account and said senior officials assured her that her visa would be renewed.
His departure came amid a broader crackdown on free speech in the country and raids on journalists reporting on sensitive issues.
In March, Dias produced a television segment on allegations made last year by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada that agents acting on behalf of the Indian government were behind the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist, on Canadian soil. . The half-hour documentary examined the movement, which advocates the creation of a separate Sikh state called Khalistan from the Indian state of Punjab.
During the half-hour documentary, which aired in Australia and posted on social media, she detailed how Indian officials had suddenly, without explanation, revoked permission for her and her crew to film on the Punjab-Pakistan border, and how she had Indian officials questioned her about her crew and the places she had visited to report the story.
“It’s clear that we are being really monitored and that there is concern about the story that we are making,” he said.
On March 26, less than a week after the documentary aired, the Indian government successfully attempted to get YouTube to block the video from being shown in India.
The following day, a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Ms. Dias that her visa extension application would not be renewed, according to a person directly familiar with the situation, but who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the delicate nature of the situation. of the matter. Ms Dias notified the Australian government and Australian diplomats began pushing for her visa, the person said.
After weeks of bureaucratic back-and-forth, Ms. Dias received her visa extension on the evening of April 18, the person said. But with her flight back to Australia leaving the next day and after having packed up her life in India, she made the decision to leave, Ella Dias said on her podcast. The first day of voting in India’s national elections is gone.
A senior Indian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, refuted his account, saying Dias had been told well in advance that his visa would be extended.
The official said Ms Dias had violated the terms of her previous visa by attempting to film on the India-Pakistan border, which requires permission. Ms. Dias previously said that she had applied for and obtained that permit before it was revoked at the last minute.
Ms Dias was not prevented from covering India’s elections, but her accreditation was delayed because she had not yet received her visa extension, the Indian official said, adding that her colleagues at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation had received accreditation to cover the elections.
Dias’ departure adds to growing concerns about press freedom in India, where Indian journalists have come under intense pressure from the Modi administration as it has consolidated power in its 10 years at the helm of the country. Modi is seeking a third term in power in parliamentary elections that began this month.
Foreign journalists in India also report increased pressure. In February, Vanessa Dougnac, a French freelance correspondent, said she had been forced to leave India, where she had lived for 25 years, after authorities told her they intended to withdraw her permanent residence permit.
Authorities accused her of producing “malicious and critical” reports and creating a “biased negative perception about India.” They said she had worked as a journalist without having a valid permit, after her work permit was revoked in September 2022 without a clear reason.