After a video was viral on social media by the official Twitter account of the party’s state affiliate in Gujarat, a debate regarding the alleged participation of foreign nationals in the BJP’s election campaign in Gujarat broke out.
In a letter to the Election Commission, Trinamool Congress (TMC) activist and national spokesperson Saket Gokhale demanded that the “foreign nationals” who were seen campaigning for the BJP while donning the party’s scarf be immediately prosecuted.
“This tantamounts to serious foreign interference in Indian elections and is completely in violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 as well as the visa laws of India,” Gokhale said in a letter to EC.
In a video shared by BJP Gujarat, some individuals ostensibly of foreign origin can be seen campaigning for the saffron party in the poll-bound state and lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s work.
“A lot of people (are) coming to listen to their leader, to give respect, to show their love,” a man can be heard saying.
Gokhale alleged that foreigners are being used by the BJP for campaigning in Gujarat in complete violation of election laws. He added that the “foreigners sound Russian raising serious questions of interference in elections.”
“The Election Commission of India is, therefore, requested to IMMEDIATELY initiate action on this complaint considering the seriousness of the matter as well as notify the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) in Gujarat to take urgent action under immigration law against foreign nationals campaigning for a political party,” the letter stated.
Although the People’s Representative Act of 1951, which regulates how elections are held in India, does not specifically address foreign nationals running for office, visa regulations prohibit any foreign person or organisation from taking part in political activities in India.
Ferdous Ahmed, a Bangladeshi actor who caused controversy by participating in a TMC protest, had his visa withdrawn by the Union home ministry in 2019. After the MHA requested the FRRO to investigate if Ahmed had broken any visa regulations, India also placed the actor on a blacklist. As a result, the actor will no longer be able to obtain a visa for India.