British scribe Yvonne Ridley says India denied visa to her

In a post on her Facebook page, Ridley blamed Indian politicians for not being sensitive even after ghastly incidents like sensational Delhi gangrape case.

"The Indian Government is refusing to give me a conference visa to address 50,000 women in Hyderabad about women's rights...," she said.

"I would have thought after the catastrophic handling of the Delhi rape case, politicians would be more sensitive, but it seems not. We women continue to be sidelined and treated as second-class citizens," Ridley said in the post.

The London-based journalist was captured by the Taliban during an undercover assignment in Afghanistan in 2001 and converted to Islam after her release in 2003.

She was to address various sessions at the 3-day conference, which began on Friday, Syed Iqbal Razvi, media in-charge of JIH said.

Ridley, through a video conference, addressing the session of journalists said, more and more Muslims should join the media as it was the most powerful way to get the message out about the purity of Islam.

Razvi said as many as 75,000 visitors visited the conference and nearly 60 eminent speakers gave their messages on various topics of Islam.

Noted media persons, University professors, politicians and representatives from various NGOs have participated in the conference, Razvi said.