BJP’s Shahnawaz Hussain gets US visa after PM intervenes
October 20th, 2009 - 2:46 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Oct 20 (IANS) After Prime Minister Manmohan Singh personally intervened, the US embassy Tuesday issued a visa to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s lone Muslim MP Syed Shahnawaz Hussain to fly to New York for attending a UN General Assembly session, a day after four of his parliamentary colleagues left for the US.
Hussain could not join the parliamentary delegation, which left for the US Monday night after the US authorities delayed issuing him the visa.
The visa issue was raised by BJP stalwart L.K. Advani with the prime minister, Hussain told IANS.
“Advani took up the matter with the PM yesterday (Monday), and asked the prime minister to seriously intervene in the matter. The PM assured that he will ensure a visa to me,” Hussain said.
“After the PM’s intervention, the US embassy immediately issued the visa,” he added.
“I will leave for the US today,” Hussain said, adding, “I don’t know the reason for the delay in issing the visa.”
Some reports had attributed the delay in processing his visa to religious profiling.
Hussain is one of the five MPs to attend the UN General Assembly programme from Oct 20 to 31 in New York.
Congress MPs Girja Vyas, Sanjay Nirupam, Janata Dal-United MP Ali Anwar and D.M.K’s T. K.S. Elangovan are the other members of the non-official delegation attending the UN programme.
On Monday, Hussain said the External Affairs Ministry had applied for the visas. However, he was the only MP who was told that there would be a delay in issuing his visa.
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