By IANS,
Chandigarh : The refusal of the central government to allow Punjab’s Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Affairs and Public Relations Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan to visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has left the minister upset.
The minister wanted to visit Dubai and Sharjah with a delegation to meet with the 17 Indians, almost all of them from Punjab, who are lodged in a prison there after being sentenced to death by a Sharjah court last month in a murder case of a Pakistani national.
Sekhwan termed the central government’s decision as “totally arbitrary, irrational and against the interests of Punjabis as 16 youth are from Punjab alone”.
Taking exception to the ministry of overseas Indian affairs’ refusal to let him visit UAE, Sekhwan said his visit was only aimed at meeting the youth and to ensure that they got justice. He said that he wanted to meet their defence lawyers and ensure speedy justice.
“Such callous attitude of the Government of India to deny permission to the delegation on the pretext of sensitivity of the matter is nothing but miscarriage of justice,” added Sekhwan.