Amidst the continuing violence in Manipur, a news clip that associates the denial of visas for US delegates by the Indian government with the situation in Manipur is being shared widely. The shared video asserts that the Indian government refused visas to American citizens intending to visit Manipur. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Indian government refused visas to American citizens intending to visit Manipur.
Fact: The viral news clip originated in March 2016 when the Indian government refused visas to delegates from the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). It is important to note that this report is unrelated to the current violence occurring in Manipur. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Despite the viral news clip suggesting that the Indian government denied visas to US delegates, it is important to note that this report is unrelated to the ongoing violence in Manipur. Furthermore, the report itself is seven years old.
As the viral news clip carries the logo of ‘CBN News’, taking it as a cue, an internet search with relevant keywords yielded the original clip on ‘CBN News’ official YouTube channel. This report was originally uploaded on 10 March 2016, with a description highlighting “India Government Turning a Blind Eye to Religious Attacks.”
According to the report, the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) was prohibited from visiting India as the Indian government denied them visas. Allegedly, this denial of visas occurred in response to an incident where extremists attacked and vandalized a Pentecostal church in Chhattisgarh earlier that same month. Hence, it is evident that the viral clip is unrelated to the violence in Manipur.
Although the US government issued a travel alert to its citizens in Manipur, earlier in May 2023, urging them to exercise caution due to ongoing inter-community protests and violence, we could not find any reports indicating that a US delegation attempted to visit Manipur or that the Indian government denied them visas.
To sum it up, an old news report about the Indian government denying visas to US delegates is being falsely shared linking it to the Manipur violence.
