Hyderabad, November 13, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has claimed that 115 international speakers invited to the Bharat Summit in Hyderabad were either denied entry into India or had their visas cancelled, raising questions over the Centre’s decision to restrict their participation.
In a post on X on Friday, Tharoor said 115 of the 315 speakers cleared by the Ministry of External Affairs for the event were unable to attend after their entry was refused or their visas were cancelled, apparently following instructions from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The Congress leader questioned the legal basis for the action and said the timing made it impossible to reverse the decision, as the three-day summit is scheduled to conclude on Saturday.
He described the development as disappointing and alleged that the government was seeking to silence voices it feared might be critical.
Tharoor is among the speakers at the summit, which began in Hyderabad on Thursday. In an earlier post, he said he had addressed a discussion involving international think tanks and delivered the keynote address at the opening dinner on the changing global order.
The Congress is hosting the gathering, which has brought together around 1,000 delegates, including policymakers, progressive political leaders and experts from nearly 70 countries. Senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge are also participating.
According to Tharoor, discussions at the summit are focused on the emerging global order, India’s strategic response, cooperative federalism and electoral integrity.
The event is also seeking to establish a think tank named ‘Our World Institute’ and create a platform for engagement between countries of the Global South and Global North.
Tharoor’s allegations regarding visa cancellations and denial of entry had not been independently established in the information available about the event.
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