The Indian government accused French journalist Vanessa Dougnac of “malicious” reporting and of breaking laws and regulations.
On Friday, Dougnac made a statement in which she said she had been forced to leave India.
Dougnac, a former South Asia Correspondent for the French magazines La Croix, Le Point, Le Temps, and Le Soir, has spent more than 20 years living in India.
“I’m leaving India today.The Indian government is forcing me to leave. She said in a statement, “My right to work as a journalist was revoked by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sixteen months ago without any explanation or hearing.
“But I am a journalist, a profession that I hold dear to my heart, and I cannot agree to give it up because of unproven accusations,” Dougnac said.
The development of this revelation occurred just days before French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit as the chief guest on Republic Day.
Dougnac vigorously denied the charges, but she also disclosed that she couldn’t afford to wait for the authorities to make a decision. She made reference to what she believed to be a larger government initiative to quell opposition in the OCI community.
“The proceedings with respect to my OCI status have shattered me, especially now that I see them as part of a wider effort by the government of India to curb dissent from the OCI community.” She did not, however, elaborate on this assertion.
Through her marriage to an Indian citizen, Dougnac, who arrived in India 25 years ago, has worked as a journalist there for 23 years. She is in possession of an OCI card. Foreign nationals are granted a lifetime multiple entry visa with this card.
The notification to Dougnac also came up during discussions between French President Emmanuel Macron, the main guest for the Republic Day celebrations, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the delegation-level.
In answer to a query on January 26, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra stated that France “appreciated” India’s “frame of reference” to examine the situation only from the perspective of following the law.
Dougnac is married to an Indian national and has written on a variety of topics over the years, including the Maoist insurgency in rural India. However, the authorities had previously suggested that she change her line of work.
India responded by saying that the matter is about “compliance with the rules and regulations of the country” when France brought up the subject during Macron’s visit last month.
“We were made aware of this by the French side both before and during President Macron’s visit,” Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra had stated. “It is not related to any other aspects of journalism or other issues,” he continued. The main concern is whether the individual complies with the laws and ordinances of the state from which they originate.
Comments 1