In a development that has shocked not just music lovers, but rather the entire country, sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan’s visa application was on Friday rejected by the British high commission.
In a development that has shocked not just music lovers, but rather the entire country, sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan’s visa application was on Friday rejected by the British high commission.
In a series of tweets, the maestro said, “Shocked & appalled. #UK visa rejected. scheduled to perform at the Royal Festival Hall in September. My UK visa rejected. Extremely sad for artists who are spreading the message of love & peace. Performing almost every year in #UK since the early 70s. Upset to have my visa rejected.”
Some TV reports quoted the sarod maestro’s son Amaan Ali Bangash was quoted as saying that they were told the visa application wasn’t convincing enough.
The British high commission in New Delhi refused to comment on the matter, with top British diplomatic sources saying they “can’t comment on individual visas.”
Expressing disappointment over his 70-year-old father being denied the UK visa, Amaan Ali, who is also a sarod player, was quoted by news agencies as saying, “This has never happened before. In our country, this is not cool. It is very sad that it has happened to him. He is someone who has worked all his life for the country and peace. The government should take interest why they (the UK) are doing this.”
Curiously, the ministry of external affairs in New Delhi did not respond to the string of tweets by the sarod maestro. Even external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who responds to tweets rather promptly, was silent on the matter.
The development comes even as Priti Patel, the British Cabinet minister and the UK’s international development secretary of state in new British PM Theresa May’s Cabinet, is in New Delhi and scheduled to meet PM Narendra Modi on Friday.
