Two Kashmiri athletes on Tuesday said that they were denied visas to travel to the U.S. for a sports event because of the country’s “new policy” on immigrants.
President Donald Trump on Friday ordered extensive vetting of Muslim travellers.
“All my documents were in order, but the interviewer told me, ‘Sorry, we cannot give you a visa because of our current policy’,” said Tanveer Hussain, 24, a snow-shoe champion.
ADVERTISEMENT
He was scheduled to participate in a championship in New York on February 25. He had an invitation from the World Snow-Shoe Federation for the event being held at Saranac Lake.
“I was interviewed by U.S. Embassy officials for over six minutes before they turned down my application,” he said. “The officials did not elaborate on the ‘current policy.”
“Indian Snowshoers Denied Visas, due to ‘current (US) policy’ This from our good friend Abid Khan, from Kashmir, minutes ago in our Facebook Messaging,” Clyde Rabideau, Mayor of the Village of Saranac Lake in New York, wrote on another athlete’s Facebook page.
ADVERTISEMENT
Abid Khan was also denied a visa.
Anxiety in Kashmir
Mr. Trump’s new policy towards immigrants and Muslims has caused anxiety in Kashmir. CPI(M) legislator M.Y. Tarigami on Monday staged a walkout in the J&K Assembly protesting against the new policies. “Trump’s decision is cowardly and self-defeating. It’s dangerous for world peace and is bound to polarise the world and endanger the lives of innocents,” said Mr. Tarigami.