HYDERABAD: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday criticised the Centre alleging that 115 of the 315 speakers cleared by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for the Bharat Summit 2026 were reportedly denied entry into India or had their visas cancelled, allegedly on the instructions of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), questioning the legal basis for the decision.
In a post on X, Tharoor described the development as a “disappointing footnote” to the summit proceedings and expressed concern over the government’s decision to prevent the speakers from attending the event.
“A disappointing footnote to the BharatSummit proceedings: when I got to Hyderabad, I learned that 115 of the 315 speakers whom the External Affairs Ministry had cleared for the event ended up being refused entry to India or having their visas cancelled, apparently on the instructions of the Ministry of Home Affairs,” Tharoor wrote.
Questioning the grounds for the decision, he said, “It is completely unclear under what provision of law the government has taken such a drastic step, but it is obviously impossible to reverse it since the conference concludes tomorrow.”
“What a shame that a proud democracy has become so insecure that it must stifle any voices it fears will be critical!” he added.
Tharoor also attended the opening day of the Bharat Summit in Hyderabad, where experts from around 70 countries have gathered for discussions on the emerging global order, India’s strategic response, cooperative federalism and electoral integrity.
