CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on Friday condemned the deportation of noted anthropologist Filippo Osella and demanded an explanation from the Central government in this regard.
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Prof. Osella was forced to return after he arrived at the Thiruvananthapuram airport from Dubai on Thursday morning. “The step taken by the immigration authorities on the instructions of the Central government reeks of injustice,” said Mr. Balakrishnan.
Prof. Osella was not given any reason for being denied permission to enter the country, said Mr. Balakrishnan. The Central government should explain as to why he was denied permission to enter India and attend a seminar in Thiruvananthapuram, he added.
Prof. Osella, who is currently Professor of Anthropology and South Asian Studies with the University of Sussex, has previously visited India on a number of occasions and has been closely associated with Kerala since the 1980s. The public would like to know what makes him a persona non grata now when no such problems existed before, said Mr. Balakrishnan.