NEW DELHI: Defending the decision to cancel the visa given to a leading Chinese dissident, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju today said the leader of World Uyghur Congress (WUC) had applied for the travel document in a wrong category, leading to the cancellation of the visa.
"He (Dolkun Isa) had given wrong information on why he wanted to visit India. The e-visa application said he wanted to come as a tourist though he was coming here to attend a conference and that is why we had to cancel his visa," the Union Minister of State for Home told reporters here.
Rijiju was reacting to question on why India has cancelled the visa given to Dolkun Isa, a leader of WUC, who lives in Germany and was invited for the conference being organised by US-based 'Initiatives for China'.
Rijiju, who handles the visa issue in the Home Ministry, said Isa should have applied for Conference visa rather than applying for tourist visa.
But he applied for e-visa by giving wrong information, Rijiju said.
The Minister said India have to arrest Isa, if he visits here as an Interpol red corner notice is pending against him.
In a U-turn, India has cancelled the visa given to the leading Chinese dissident to participate in a conference in Dharamsala, apparently buckling under pressure from China.
Beijing had expressed its unhappiness over issuing the Indian visa to Isa.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying had said "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."