Australian journalist warned over reporting “crossed a line”

Avani Dias, an Australian journalist and former South Asia bureau chief of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), recently left India abruptly after allegedly being denied a work visa extension by the Indian government. Dias stated that she received a notification from the Modi government indicating that her visa extension would be rejected due to her reportage that was deemed to have “crossed a line.” She departed from India on April 19, coinciding with the start of the Lok Sabha elections.

Dias expressed that she received only a two-month extension after intervention from the Australian government, just hours before her scheduled flight. The Indian government has not officially commented on Dias’s departure or the reasons behind the visa dispute.

“Last week, I had to leave India abruptly. The Modi Government told me my visa extension would be denied, saying my reporting “crossed a line”. After Australian Government intervention, I got a mere two-month extension …less than 24 hours before my flight,” she said in a post on X.

This development follows a recent incident where YouTube India reportedly blocked an episode related to Dias’s reporting on the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, allegedly under pressure from the Indian government.

ABC’s managing director, David Anderson, voiced support for Dias’s journalistic work, stating that ABC stands by her impactful reporting during her time in India. Dias is set to join ABC’s Four Corners team as a reporter in the upcoming weeks, highlighting ABC’s commitment to independent journalism and press freedom globally.

Dias mentioned that her election accreditation was also affected due to an Indian Ministry directive, leading to her departure on the first day of voting in India’s national elections.

On X, Dias continued. “We were also told my election accreditation would not come through because of an Indian Ministry directive. We left on day one of voting in the national election in what Modi calls “the mother of democracy.”

In a podcast, Dias expressed her shock and disappointment at leaving India, a place she and her partner considered home for over two years, citing that they were being compelled to leave on the Indian government’s terms. The incident raises concerns about press freedom and the challenges faced by journalists reporting on sensitive issues in certain regions.