Why Centre blacklisted US woman who organised art expo against Kudankulam nuclear plant

DELHI: The Centre on Thursday told the Delhi HC that it had deported an American entrepreneur and later blacklisted her as some of her activities had political overtones. She had made false assertions in her business visa application, it added. Kasha Elizabeth Vande (48) organised an art exhibition against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tirunelveli, the Centre told the Court. She was doing charity work and NGO activities for which there was a different visa.

She could not carry out those activities under a business visa, it added. Kasha was deported on January 5, even before the matter had reached the courts. Kasha’s lawyer said that she had organised the art exhibition in 2013, despite which the government had renewed her business visa in 2017 for another 10 years. Kasha also claimed that she had been residing in India for 10 years before her deportation. A plea was moved challenging her detention at the Chennai airport when she had returned from the US.

The lawyer sought interim orders for allowing his client to return to India as she was the organiser of a popular photo exhibition ‘PondyPHOTO’, scheduled to be held this year in Puducherry. But the Court refrained from passing any interim directions, saying the matter required longer hearing.