US journalist deported for misrepresenting facts: Centre tells Delhi HC

• Angad Singh had made documentary on Shaheen Bagh protest against controversial citizenship regime
• ‘Vice’ journalist Angad Singh blacklisted, his documentary showed India in a negative manner
• He submitted he holds an OCI card which was issued to him initially in March 2007 and which was renewed in August 2018.

The Central government told the Delhi High Court on Friday that American citizen and journalist Angad Singh has been blacklisted for showing India in a negative manner, according to PTI. The journalist has been working the American media company, “Vice”.

Angad Singh has approached the Delhi High Court against the Centre’s refusal to permit his entry to India. Singh was deported from Delhi to New York in August. He has been blacklisted despite being an OCI card holder for misrepresenting facts in his application for obtaining a journalistic visa and violating certain norms.

Justice Prathiba M Singh granted time to the Centre’s counsel to obtain instructions and file an affidavit confirming whether any proceedings have commenced against Angad Singh, who produces documentaries for Vice News with a focus on Asia, for cancellation of the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, reported the news agency. The high court also asked the Centre’s counsel to inform whether any show cause notice was issued to the petitioner.

Singh covers South Asia and has been in news for making a documentary on the Shaheen Bagh protest. The Government must be upset due to that documentary,” a family member was quoted as saying in the Express report.

“Let the above instructions be placed before the court by way of an affidavit within two weeks,” the court said and listed the matter for further hearing on February 28.

The Centre submitted Singh had depicted India in a “negative manner” in the “India Burning” documentary.

The defence counsel submitted that under the provisions of the Citizenship Act, OCI card holders have all the rights as recognised by the Constitution of India except for certain rights as mentioned under section 7B (2).

The counsel said Singh’s OCI card is still valid and that according to the counter affidavit filed by Centre, although he has been blacklisted his OCI card has not been cancelled yet.

As per the Centre, an affidavit has been filed by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) stating the petitioner is a ‘blacklist subject’ and was blacklisted at the instance of the Consulate General of India in New York, according to PTI.

– INDIA NEWS STREAM