A special envoy, sent by the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Delhi to Oslo, met the Norwegian foreign minister and shared India's concern over attempts by Norwegian officials to keep the children with them even after their visas expire. The children's parents- Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya have objected to this plan as well, but Norwegian law makes their permission unnecessary.
One-year-old Aishwarya and three-year-old Abhigyan were removed from their home in Stavanger in Norway last May after child welfare officials decided the Bhattacharyas were negligent parents.
Last week, Foreign Affairs Minister SM Krishna underlined India's commitment to recovering the children, warning that Norway must recognize that the children are "neither orphans nor stateless persons."
Anurup was on a posting to Norway; his family's visas expire in March, and Sagarika and he worry that after that, they will find it tough to travel to Norway to fight for their children. Anurup's brother, Arunabhash Bhattacharya, is in Norway to meet with the children. He has been proposed as a custodian for the children if Norway agrees to send them back to India. Local authorities have been supervising his visits with his niece and nephew.
In Delhi, Anurup and Sagarika's parents tried to protest at the Norwegian embassy this morning, but were denied permission. BJP leader Sushma Swaraj visited them and promised to raise their case in Parliament.
For NDTV Updates, follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook
No comments:
Post a Comment