Contrary to reports that the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs had sought a “detailed report” from the Indian High Commission in the U.K. about its reported refusal to grant V.S. Naipaul a Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card, High Commission sources on Tuesday said they had not received any instruction.
“We have had no instructions from New Delhi,” a spokesperson said reacting to an agency report which quoted A. Didar Singh, Secretary in the Ministry, as saying: “We have sought a report from our High Commission about the whole issue.”
About the allegation that the High Commission refused the Nobel Laureate a PIO card as he did not have proper documents, India House said in a statement: “No application has been made by Sir V.S. Naipaul for a PIO card. Lady Nadira Naipaul had visited the High Commission some three months ago and made enquiries about the procedures regarding application for a PIO card for her husband, which were explained to her by the officials concerned of the High Commission. These procedures are also on the High Commission's website.”
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The row erupted after Lady Nadira was reported as saying she was told by officials in the High Commission that Sir Vidia should get a certificate from a tehsildar or magistrate in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, his place of birth, that he was a person of Indian origin.