On Thursday, British MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi was stopped for around two hours by immigration officials after he landed at the Shri Guru Ramdas ji International Airport here on Thursday, PTI reported.
Though there was no official word about stopping the MP, the sources said the Labour MP from Slough was not carrying his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card.
Dhesi, who’s known for being outspoken on Sikh issues, was made to wait for two hours before being allowed to leave the airport, they said.
A Punjab police official said Dhesi arrived from Birmingham at around 9 am and he did not complain of any difficulty or problem faced inside the airport.
The official posted at the airport said Dhesi is on a personal visit and has refused police security during his stay in the city.
Later, the MP from Slough took to his social media handles to express how some “haters” had complained to get his valid OCI visa suspended.
“Upon landing in India last year, I felt the huge love and respect from many Indian farmers unions and civil society (in recognition for stridently speaking up for Human Rights during the Farmers Protests) but today I had the indignity of being held back for 2 hours at Amritsar airport, because some haters had complained to get my valid OCI visa suspended,” Dhesi said.
He mentioned that the issue had been resolved “thanks to strong interventions from family, friends, and supporters…”
“Guess it’s the price to pay for standing up for farmers, the marginalised and minorities like the #Sikhs,” he added.