China has reportedly denied visa to noted cardiologist U. Kaul, a Padma Shri awardee, and four others born in Jammu and Kashmir. Dr. Kaul was to travel to Beijing for a conference on cardiology and chaired it four days ago.
Dr. Kaul, who had been to China four times, was surprised at the denial of visa to him and the four others. He said no reason was given for the visa rejection.
However, another doctor, who is of Kashmiri origin but born outside the State, was given visa for the same conference.
A Chinese Embassy spokesman said he could not comment on these cases immediately due to absence of details. However, there was no change in the Chinese policy of issuing stapled visas to those born in Jammu and Kashmir, he said.
For the last couple of years, the Chinese Embassy has been stapling visas in separate sheets to applicants from J&K and Arunachal Pradesh. For people of all other Indian states, it pastes the document on the passport as is the norm.
