Kshama Sawant, former Seattle City Council member, has been denied an Indian visa twice, preventing her from visiting her ailing mother in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Sawant, a vocal critic of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), has alleged that the denial is a form of “political retaliation” by the Narendra Modi-led government.
Sawant, who introduced a resolution in the Seattle council condemning the CAA, believes that her stance against the law may have led to her visa rejection. The Ministry of External Affairs has not yet commented on the matter.
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.
Sign the petition. Urge Modi to stop this retaliation. https://t.co/pnLOLW5IHb
My…
— Kshama Sawant (@cmkshama) February 1, 2025
Sawant’s mother, Vasundhara Ramanujam, 82, has been unwell for two years, and the former council member has been trying to visit her since May 2023. She first applied for an e-visa and later for an emergency entry visa, but both applications were rejected without explanation. The lack of clarity has fueled concerns that the decision is politically motivated.
Sawant expressed her frustration, stating, “Working people & the Left internationally need to fight against the right wing and the billionaire class, and their brazen tactics of repression and attacks on immigrants, activists & movements, including with strike action and civil disobedience. Fight against Modi, BJP, Trump, Republicans, Democrats & all the capitalist parties.”
Her friends and supporters have started an online petition urging the Indian government to grant her a visa. Additionally, Sawant is exploring legal avenues to challenge the denial.
This incident has added to growing concerns about the Indian government’s treatment of activists and critics. Over the past few years, several academics, writers, and journalists critical of Modi’s administration have faced similar restrictions.
In February 2023, Nitasha Kaul, a London-based academic and an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI), was denied entry at Bengaluru airport without any explanation. Sweden-based professor Ashok Swain also had his OCI card revoked in 2023, allegedly due to his criticism of the government.
In another high-profile case, writer Aatish Taseer’s OCI status was revoked in 2019 following his Time Magazine cover story, “India’s Divider in Chief,” which criticized Modi’s leadership.
Sawant’s case has drawn widespread attention, with many questioning whether the visa denials are part of a broader crackdown on dissent. The situation continues to unfold as Sawant seeks legal remedies to challenge the decision while her supporters push for international attention on the issue.
