Tharoor remarks on visa rules "callous": BJP

BJP today described Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor's tweet on new visa rules as "callous" and said the government should clarify its position on the issue instead of "speaking in different voices".

BJP on Monday described Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor's tweet on new visa rules as "callous" and said the government should clarify its position on the issue instead of "speaking in different voices".

HT Image

"Tharoor has made a callous remark (on 26/11 killers not needing visas). How can a person in his position make such statements even in jest?" BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said and accused the government of taking "contradictory stand" on visa norms.

"The stand of the government is contradictory. It has given no clarification till now. We want a categorical answer from the government on the subject," Rudy said.

He insisted that the government should also look into the present visa norms in the wake of reports of misuse of Tatkal scheme. Rudy maintained that government had made rules for issuance of passports very flexible, leading to its misuse as shown by a recent case from Lucknow Regional Passport office, where a terrorist had managed to secure a passport.

While tweeting, Tharoor had wondered whether tightening of the visa norms made any sense and if it would actually "protect" security as "26/11 killers had no visas".

Tharoor had asked whether India would allow terrorists to make the country a "less welcoming" destination.