Deport Adnan Sami, says BJP

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party Wednesday demanded that UK-born singer Adnan Sami, who is a Pakistani national, be immediately deported as his visa expired Oct 6.

State BJP spokesperson and treasurer Shaina N.C. said that he has already been issued a notice for staying beyond the expiry of the visa by the Mumbai Police under the Foreigners Act, 1946, Sec 14(B), and ordered to reply within seven days. "Why is Sami being treated with dignity? Who is his Godfather in New Delhi?" Shaina asked. She alleged that besides living in India illegally over the past 10 days, Sami had several cases against him under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). He was also accused of blackmail, abuse and extortion and the Enforcement Directorate was investigating the allegations against him, she said. "Any ordinary citizen with such a track record would be put to immense hardships and stringent action would be taken by authorities. Sami has been in India since 2001 on business visas. Apparently, he has benami income (meaning transfer of property to a person`s name on payment of a consideration), so he is not paying tax appropriately," Shaina said. She demanded that since Sami is a Pakistani national with so many charges against him, he should be deported post-haste. The BJP made these statements after another opposition party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), wanted Sami to leave the country immediately. Sami was served a police notice Tuesday, seeking an explanation for his overstay and details of the visa renewal process he claimed to have initiated. The 44-year-old Sami`s visa, issued Sep 26 last year, expired Oct 6. He is likely to be slapped with a daily fine till he gets his visa renewed. The police, however, declined to confirm these details. The visa expiry came to light during the hearing of his divorce-cum-property dispute last week after which MNS Film Wing chief Amey Khopkar asked him to leave the country and return only with a valid visa.