Vice News journalist ‘blacklisted’ by Center Government for ‘India Burning’ documentary. But, WHY?

A US-based journalist, who documented Shaheen Bagh protest, farmer’s protest and the COVID-19 pandemic in India, has been blacklisted by the Centre government for reportedly violating the Foreigners Order, which prohibits a foreigner from producing or filming any documentary without permission.

The Centre on Friday, informed the Delhi High Court that Angad Singh, a US-based journalist with Vice News, is a blacklisted subject despite being an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holder.

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Notably, Singh was deported from Delhi to New York flight in August last year and he filed a suit against it. He also challenged the refusal to grant him a Special Permit.

Appearing for the Centre, advocate Anurag Ahluwalia told the court that Singh depicted India in a ‘negative manner’ in his documentary “India Burning” and submitted that he was entering India on his journalist visa for a personal visit but he was not issued a visa for that.

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In his plea, Singh had claimed that his fundamental rights under the Citizenship Act, 1955 have been violated by not letting him into India. He has asked the court to restrain government from violating his rights.

Singh’s mother through a Facebook post, had claimed that he had come to India to meet his family in Punjab and it was because of his journalism that he was deported.

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