India delaying visa for Lankan envoy: report

Sri Lanka's newly appointed Deputy High Commissioner to India has not been able to take up the post in Chennai due to a delay by Indian authorities in issuing the envoy a visa, a media report here claimed today.
Sri Lankan envoy A Sabrullah Khan's diplomatic visa application had been made in December and the visa is being held as India was yet to grant concurrence for the new appointment, 'Sunday Times' reported.
"Surprisingly we have not been told yes or no. Never before has there been such a delay," an unnamed Sri Lankan external affairs ministry source was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

The ministry secretary K Amunugama has also been quoted as saying, "We are still awaiting approval".
Sri Lanka in the recent weeks has been contemplating a move to shift the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission in Chennai to Trivandrum apparently due to an alleged anti-Sri Lanka stance in Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had also ordered a ban on Sri Lankan IPL players in Tamil Nadu. Also there were separate cases of alleged physical assault on Sri Lankan monks in the state.