A New Zealand originated YouTuber, Karl Edward Rice known as Karl Rock claimed that the Indian government has banned him from coming to India after he left India to travel to Dubai and Pakistan, thereby separating him from his wife and family in New Delhi without giving him any particular reason for the same.
His wife, Manisha Malik who is an Indian citizen who lives in New Delhi has filed a petition regarding this action of the government. He also posted a video on his YouTube channel which was entitled as ‘Why haven’t seen my wife in 269 days’ in which he told about his separation from his wife and in-laws because of this action by the government.
“I left India to go travel Dubai and Pakistan in October 2020 and upon leaving they cancelled my visa at the airport. They wouldn’t tell me why. So in Dubai, I applied for a new visa. They called me in for a meeting and told me I had been blacklisted and therefore they couldn’t issue me a visa to go home," he writes in the petition. He adds that he wasn’t given a notice for the reason of his blacklist. “Before someone is added to the Blacklist they’re meant to be given the reason, and time to reply. I wasn’t."
Rock is a New Zealand holder and a visa holder. In 2019, he got married to Manisha Malik a citizen of India and he resided in Delhi till October 2020.
He has also tweeted on his handle addressing to the New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, “Dear @jacindaardern , the Govt. of India has blocked me from entering India separating me from my wife & family in Delhi. They blacklisted me without telling me, giving reasons, or letting me reply. Please watch my struggle https://youtu.be/oBGRQltTTAE @NZinIndia @MukteshPardeshi” with a picture of his and his wife. He also tagged some senior diplomats, journalists, as well as the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's official handles on the tweet.
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In response, an MHA officer confirmed that New Zealand origin vlogger Karl Rock has been blacklisted by the Government of India for violating multiple visa norms, he was found doing business on a tourist visa, he is barred for one year, his visa is cancelled.
He has also started an online petition which is having the headline, “Help me return to my wife and family in India” in which he has written
“My name is Karl Rock and the Government of India has stopped me from returning to India by adding my name to the Ministry of Home Affairs' Blacklist. Thereby separating me from my wife and family in New Delhi.
I left India to go travel Dubai and Pakistan in October 2020 and upon leaving they cancelled my visa at the airport. They wouldn't tell me why. So in Dubai, I applied for a new visa. They called me in for a meeting and told me I had been blacklisted and therefore they couldn't issue me a visa to go home.
Before someone is added to the Blacklist they're meant to be given the reason, and time to reply. I wasn’t.
We request my name be removed from the blacklist so I can return home.
Please help us,
Karl Rock & Manisha Malik”
Currently, the petition has received 88,665 signatures and the target is of 1,50,000 signs.