India does a U-turn, withdraws visa to Dolkun Isa after China protests

New Delhi: India has cancelled the visa given to a leading Chinese dissident to participate in a conference in Dharamsala, apparently after China objected to it.

Read: India issues visa to Uyghur 'terrorist' Dolkun Isa, China fumes

"We have cancelled the visa given to Dolkun Isa," a Home Ministry spokesperson today said without elaborating further. Isa, a leader of World Uyghur Congress (WUC), who lives in Germany, had been invited for the conference being organised by US-based 'Initiatives for China'.

Read: Has India hit back, given visa to China ‘terrorist’?

Reacting to the Indian move, Isa said, "On April 23, I got a very short note by the Indian side that my visa is cancelled. There was no explanation."

He said he did not know what exactly was the reason for it. "May be because of Chinese pressure put on the Indian government. But, I do not know...I did not get any explanation from the Indian side," he said.

Read: Visa denial is India's effort to maintain bilateral relations with China: Dolkun Isa

India's decision last week to allow WUC leaders whom China regards as backers of terrorism in its volatile Muslim-dominated Xinjiang province had come in the backdrop of Beijing blocking India's bid to get Pathankot terror attack mastermind Masood Azhar designated as a terrorist by the UN.

China's unhappiness about reports that Isa has been given the visa was reflected in Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying saying, "What I want to point out is that Dolkun is a terrorist in red notice of the Interpol and Chinese police. Bringing him to justice is due obligation of relevant countries."

Read: Omar Abdullah hits out at govt for cancelling visa to Chinese dissident