Indian consulate fails to help father despite Sushma Swaraj’s tweet
dubai — The Indian Consulate here has failed to help an Indian father even 10 days after India’s Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, took to Twitter to help him. Yasin Sharif has been waiting more than 68 days for a medical attendance visa for his Pakistani wife so that she can travel to India with their disabled son for medical treatment.
But when Khaleej Times’ queried the delay in visa processing with the consulate on November 7, it responded six days later (on November 13) with a rather unhelpful, “We are awaiting clearance,” response.
“I am an Indian and the Consulate is meant to be here to help me, but I am not getting any help,” Sharif told Khaleej Times on Monday.
The father-of-two applied for his wife’s visa on September 8. He was told the application process would take up to 40 days, which it has now well exceeded.
And even when Sushma Swaraj publicly responded to his tweet for help on November 5 saying “I am asking our mission in Dubai to help your wife…”, the consulate failed to step up.
“I understand there is a procedure but all I am asking for is an explanation as to why it is being delayed so much. When I contact them, they give no helpful response. And it sometimes takes them up to 10 days to reply,” he said.
Sharif took to Twitter again on Friday (November 11) pleading with Swaraj for a follow up with the consulate, but she is yet to reply.
In his tweet he wrote: “@Sush-maSwaraj sorry to tweet you again, still no response from Dxb consulate, plz assist.”
Swaraj is no stranger to requests for help on Twitter.
Earlier this month another Indian man, Namunduri Venkata Rao, used the social media platform to request assistance to get a visa so he could visit Ukraine, where his son was admitted to hospital. Using the handle, @ nvrao61, he wrote: “My son suffering pneumonia coma from 10 days, pls help me provide visa urgently to visit my son in Zapro-zhye Hospital, Ukraine.”
Swaraj had replied saying her office will contact him.
kelly@khaleejtimes.com
All I am asking for is an explanation as to why it is being delayed so much. When I contact them, they give no helpful response.”
Yasin Sharif