SEATTLE (Diya TV) — Former Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant has alleged that the Indian government denied her a visa, preventing her from visiting her ailing mother. In a post on X, Sawant linked the visa denial to her criticism of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“India’s PM Modi & the BJP government are denying me a visa to see my ill mother. I’m not alone. Modi has retaliated against other activists & journalists, denying or revoking entry into India,” Sawant wrote.
Sawant, a socialist, has been a vocal critic of the Modi government, particularly its implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). She spearheaded the first U.S. city resolution condemning the CAA-NRC, which critics claim discriminates against Muslims, a charge denied by the Indian government. She also backed a Seattle resolution supporting Indian farmers protesting agricultural laws and led the city in banning caste-based discrimination, a first in the U.S despite significant opposition against it and no claims filed using the ordinance.
The Indian government has not commented on Sawant’s visa application or her claims. However, officials have defended the CAA as a law providing citizenship to persecuted minorities like Hindus and Sikhs from neighboring Muslim majority countries, rather than revoking it from any group.
Sawant’s supporters view the alleged visa denial as political retaliation, while critics argue that sovereign nations have discretion over visa approvals. Some note that outspoken opponents of governments worldwide often face travel restrictions.
