French Journalist claims asked to leave India, forbidden from covering general elections
- In Reports
- 06:11 PM, Jun 20, 2024
- Myind Staff
French journalist Sébastien Farcis claimed he was "forced to leave" India and prohibited from covering the 2024 general elections. This action followed the Union Ministry of Home Affairs' decision not to renew his permit. This is the second such claim by a French journalist in the past four months.
French journalist Sébastien Farcis stated in a post on X that he was forced to leave India on 17th June. Farcis, who had lived and worked in India for 13 years, served as a South Asia correspondent for Radio France Internationale, Radio France, Libération, and the Swiss and Belgian public radios.
Sébastien Farcis revealed that on March 7, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) declined to renew his journalist permit, thereby preventing him from covering the general elections. Farcis, who has been reporting in India since 2011, described the decision as "incomprehensible censorship."
He emphasised that he had always obtained the necessary visas and accreditations for his work. Farcis noted that he never operated in restricted or protected areas without permission and mentioned that the MHA had previously granted him permits to report from border areas on several occasions.
Sébastien Farcis stated that the move impacts his family as well, as he is married to an Indian woman and holds Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status. He expressed concern over the growing restrictions on foreign journalists in India, noting that he is the second French journalist in four months forced to leave under similar conditions, following Vanessa Dougnac. Known for his anti-India reporting, MHA refused to renew his permit.
Farcis highlighted that at least five OCI foreign correspondents have been banned from working as journalists in less than two years. He called this trend troubling.
Vanessa Dougnac was reportedly asked to leave India on February 16 after working as a journalist in the country for 23 years. Married to a man from Haryana and a mother to a son, Dougnac received a notice from the MHA in January.
The notice accused her of writing "malicious" articles that harmed "the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India" and required her to explain why her OCI card should not be cancelled, according to a report by Outlook.
In April, Australian journalist Avani Dias, who served as the South Asia bureau chief for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), claimed she was forced to leave India. The government allegedly informed her that her visa extension would be denied due to her reporting "crossing a line" and that she would not be allowed to cover the general elections.
A government official later disputed Dias's account. Subsequently, Dias tweeted that she had received a two-month visa extension following intervention by the Australian government, but she was still prohibited from covering the Indian elections.
According to a report by digital publication Article14, the NDA government cancelled at least 102 OCI cards between 2014 and May 2023. This information was obtained through Right to Information responses.
Image source: ANI
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