Demands for action against officials have grown louder after a German Padma Shri awardee’s application for a visa extension was denied by Indian officials in Lucknow. German national Friederike Irina Bruning was awarded the coveted Padma award this year for working with sick cows in India.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said that she had asked for a report. She wrote on Twitter, “Thanks for bringing this to my notice. I have asked for a report.”
Bruning said that her visa expired on 25 June and the rejection by officials at the MEA office in Lucknow had cast uncertainty over her plans as she desired to work for a longer period in India.
The news has left Twitterati seething as most of them demanded strong actions against the officials who denied the Gemran national a visa extension.
Dear @SushmaSwaraj , Ma’am, Not extending visa for someone to continue the work for which she received a national honour this year is a matter of irony. Am pretty sure this was unintentional and lost in transition. Hence request you to take note.https://t.co/Z1kCQE3RaX
— Ajeya Motaganahalli (@AJ_AJEYA) May 26, 2019
@myogiadityanath ji kindly get it investigated and suspend the personal who intentionally denied her visa. I bet it is politically motivated act. UP don’t need beurocrate who work with political motive. https://t.co/lf8nDlKCHx
— Kunal Singh (@Kunal_Singh__) May 26, 2019
Must be some babugiri prevailing in Visa office otherwise how a Govt which conferred Padma award on one side & deny visa extension on other side to”German Padma Shri”
— OMESH PAL RAMPAL (@chogawiaan) May 26, 2019
The German national reportedly threatened to return her Padma award saying that there was no point of keeping the government award when the same government did not want her in India to work with cows.