FACT CHECK: Has The Indian Government Recently Rejected A U.S. Delegation’s Visa Request?
A video shared on Twitter purports the Indian government recently rejected a U.S. delegation’s visa request to visit Manipur.
Visas rejected for US delegation to visit Manipur.(Part1). pic.twitter.com/ns6yKpBUPW
— Shenaz (@WeThePeople3009) July 5, 2023
Verdict: Misleading
The video stems from a 2016 Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) interview, which highlighted a visa request made by a U.S. delegation on religious freedom. The visa request had been denied by the Indian government at the time.
Fact Check:
A 50-year-old woman was shot in the face and disfigured on July 15 in Manipur, according to India Today. The killing comes amid violence that has plagued the city for over two months between the ethnic groups, the Meiteis and the Kukis, BBC News reported.
“Visas rejected for US delegation to visit Manipur.(Part1),” the Twitter post’s caption reads. The post features a video in which a Catholic priest explains how the Indian government recently rejected a U.S. delegation’s visa request to visit India. The video has been viewed over 15,000 times as of writing.
In addition, the CBN logo is visible in the upper right corner of the video.
The claim is misleading, however. The video clip stems from a 2016 CBN interview between anchor Heather Sells and Father Thomas Reese. During the interview, Reese reveals he is part of a U.S. delegation on religious freedom that was set to visit India until the Indian government denied his group’s visa request. A keyword search generates Reese’s Twitter account, which shows that he is a member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports suggesting the Indian government had recently denied a U.S. delegation’s visa request to visit Manipur. In addition, the claim neither appears in a statement published on the Indian Ministry of External Affairs’ website nor its verified social media accounts. (RELATED: Does Viral Video Show A Recent Train Crash In India?)
Check Your Fact has contacted CBN and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.
