Indian Consulate Blocks Kshama Sawant's Visa: Political Retaliation Alleged

Feb, 9 2025

Seattle Activist Kshama Sawant Faces Visa Roadblock

In an unsettling development, Kshama Sawant, a prominent Seattle politician and activist, has once again been barred from visiting her ailing mother in Bengaluru, India. The Indian consulate in Seattle rejected Sawant's emergency visa application, marking the second denial in 2024. While her husband, Calvin Priest, received approval, Sawant finds herself on a mysterious 'rejection list,' with no detailed explanation from the consulate.

Sawant's frustration is palpable. She's calling upon India's political Opposition to stand in support of critics like herself who are vocal against what she perceives as an oppressive governmental agenda. Her statements come with the threat of a legal challenge to counter the visa denial.

A Vocal Critic Facing Consequences?

Sawant, renowned for advocating workers' rights and social justice, has been a firm opponent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies. She has voiced strong opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which are controversial legislative moves in India. Back in 2020, under her influence, the Seattle City Council passed a resolution condemning the CAA, further solidifying her position as a critic of the Indian government policies. Her advocacy goes beyond international politics, as she has successfully pushed for raising Seattle’s minimum wage, introduced the JumpStart Seattle tax, and pushed a landmark legislation banning caste discrimination in the city.

While maintaining her resolve, Sawant suspects the recurring visa denials are politically charged, disappointment lacing her observations of past travels to India, which occurred without any hindrance, the most recent in June 2022. She finds herself unable to reach her 82-year-old mother, Vasundhara Ramanujam, who is battling multiple critical health conditions, putting an emotional strain on the family.

Tensions flared further after the Indian Consulate restrained Sawant from entering, citing a 'law and order situation' that prompted police involvement. However, Workers Strike Back, an organization linked to Sawant, labels the incident as peaceful civil disobedience, conducted to demand clarity over the unfavorable visa decision.

In a video statement, Sawant, deeply concerned over her mother’s rapidly declining health, questioned the motives behind the visa rejection, hinting strongly at political vengeance against her 2020 resolution opposing the CAA and her 2023 legislative efforts against caste discrimination.

As her mother remains in India, deteriorating in health, Sawant is preparing for possible legal measures to contest the consulate's decision, hoping justice will prevail and allow her much-needed closeness to her ailing parent during this critical time.