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Norwegian tourist who joined anti-CAA protest in Kochi ordered to leave India
During questioning, Johannson reportedly said she had approached a local police station in Kochi and told about her intention to participate in the rally and they verbally gave her the go-ahead.
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A Norwegian tourist who was questioned for participating in a protest against Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAA) in Kochi has been asked to leave the country. Seventy-four-year-old Janne Mette-Johannson took to social media on Friday saying an officer from the Bureau of Immigration met her in the morning and asked her to leave the country immediately.
“A couple of hours back Bureau of Immigration showed up at my hotel again. I was told to leave the country at once, or legal action will be taken. I asked for an explanation and also something in writing. I was told I would not get anything in the writing,” she wrote in her Facebook post. She said a friend has arranged a ticket to Sweden via Dubai and she will be leaving tonight.
On Monday, Johannson had taken part in a rally against CAA which was attended by many writers, film personalities and rights activists. After the rally she posted a photo and wrote that the rally was well-organised and peaceful. “No riots, just people determined, lifting up their voices. Police were really helpful during this protest march,” said her post. On Christmas Day, she had also attended a morning mass at a church in Kochi.
During the questioning, she reportedly told officials that she had approached a local police station in Kochi and told about her intention to participate in the rally and they verbally gave her the go-ahead. She later told a regional newspaper that “questioning session was really time-consuming and belittling”.
The incident came to light after some of her friends in Lucknow and Delhi alerted newsmen in Kochi. Later, she also posted her experience on Facebook.
A regular visitor to India since 2014, her visa was valid till March 2020. The latest incident came two days after a German student of the IIT-Chennai, Jakob Lindenthal, was deported for taking part in the protest on the campus. Many activists and cine personalities have condemned the action. “It is really unfortunate. Actions like this will spoil India’s name internationally,” said film Malayalam director Kamal decrying her deportation.
