Visa to Uyghur dissident: China in no position to object, says R.K. Singh

New Delhi : With Beijing protesting India’s permission to a Germany-based Uyghur leader Dolkun Isa to visit Dharamsala later this month, former home secretary R.K. Singh on Saturday said China is in no position to object to Delhi’s move after they blocked a move by India to get Azhar Masood on the UN terrorist sanctions list.

“China is in no position to take any objection with India, after they blocked our (India’s) move to get Azhar Masood on the sanctions list,” Singh told ANI.

“Out of 15 countries, 14 have strongly supported India’s bid, but only China alone opposed the bid without stating any reason, resulting in prohibition of the ban on Pathankot terror attack mastermind,” he added.

Singh further said that despite Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) being on the sanctions list of United Nations, Beijing blocking India’s move was not right.

“So, China asking us to be sensitive to their concerns is beyond imagination,” he added.

Isa, a leader of the World Uyghur Congress, has been invited to a conference organised by the US-based Initiatives for China. Uyghurs and other Chinese dissidents in exile are expected to attend and discuss democratic transformation in China.

Reacting to India’s decision, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said, “What I want to point out is that Dolkun is a terrorist on red notice of the Interpol and Chinese police. Bringing him to justice is due obligation of relevant countries.”

However, Ministry of External Affairs, spokesperson of Vikas Swarup, maintained a cautious position saying that the MEA is yet to “ascertain” the details of the conference.

“As you know, the conference is not being organised by the MEA. So, we are yet to have full details of the event,” he said during his weekly news briefing. (ANI)