NEW DELHI: The Indian government has cancelled the visa granted to an exiled Uighur-Chinese leader wanted by China, The Hindu reported on Monday, citing sources in the ministry of home affairs.

It said the visa was cancelled on finding out that the electronic tourist visa that Dolkun Isa had received was invalid for addressing public meetings in India. However, they added, they would issue him a fresh visa if he applied under the appropriate category.

The grant of visa to Mr Dolkun triggered a war of words between India and China as the decision was perceived in Beijing as a counter-measure by New Delhi after China stopped India’s UN campaign to blacklist the Pakistan-based Maulana Masood Azhar of Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Earlier, Mr Dolkun claim­ed that he had received an email informing him the Indian visa issued to him was cancelled, The Hindu said.

“I really wanted to visit India. But I received an email on Saturday, informing that my visa that was issued on April 6 has been cancelled. No explanations were given. No Indian official called me personally to convey this decision. It’s a very sad situation for us,” Mr Dolkun told The Hindu, sounding disappointed over the phone from Berlin.

The Uighur-Chinese leader, who heads the World Uighur Congress (WUC), a global organisation for the ethnic group in Xinjiang province of western China, was scheduled to take part in a major international conference of anti-Beijing activists at Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, from April 28 to May 1.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2016