The Indian Consulate in Seattle was left to deal with a law and order issue after denying an emergency visa to Indian-American politician Kshama Sawant. The Consulate General of India said “certain individuals” tried to enter the premises without permission after office hours and refused to leave. Despite repeated requests, these individuals engaged in aggressive behavior with consulate staff, prompting the involvement of local authorities.
Sawant, a former member of the Seattle City Council, said she had been placed on a “reject list” as the reason why her visa was denied. She also pointed out that her visa to visit her ailing mother in Bengaluru had been rejected thrice; her husband Calvin Priest, on the other hand, was issued an emergency visa.
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On Thursday, Sawant, along with members of her organization, Workers Strike Back, staged a “peaceful civil disobedience” at the consulate to demand an explanation for the rejection of her visa requests. “My husband and I are in Seattle Indian consulate. They granted him emergency visa for my mother being very sick. But rejected mine, literally saying my name is on a ‘reject list.’ And refusing to give explanation why. We’re refusing to leave. They’re threatening to call the police on us,” Sawant posted on X.
She further claimed that a consular officer had informed her that her visa rejection was because of being on the “Modi govt’s ‘reject list.’ It is clear why. My socialist City Council office passed a resolution condemning Modi’s anti-Muslim anti-poor CAA-NRC citizenship law. We also won a historic ban on caste discrimination, added Sawant in another post.
Sawant was a vocal critic of the Indian government led by BJP. Previously, she called for India’s opposition parties to rise up on her behalf. When she served as a Seattle City Councilor, she co-sponsored a resolution aimed at eradicating caste discrimination. Post this tenure, Sawant went ahead to create the organization Workers Strike Back which focuses on lobbying the federal minimum wage to $25 and the need for unions to organize labor within big tech companies.
