INLD claims forged party letterhead being used to seek asylum, writes to US

The INLD has written to authorities in the US, warning them about forged party letterheads being used by people to seek asylum in that country.

In a letter to the US Department of Justice, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) Secretary Nachhattar Singh Malhan said the party office has issued "documents for asylum" only for two people.

All documents relating to other people are forged, the letter said.

Malhan on Tuesday said the party recently learnt that some people were forging its letterhead to issue letters to asylum seekers in the US. These letters cited "threats" to their lives in India.

The INLD leader said he brought the matter to the notice of the Justice Department in Washington.

"It is brought to your kind notice that a number of persons from Haryana (India) are submitting forged documents for getting asylum in the USA," his letter to the Justice Department said.

"They are living in the USA without any valid documents and to get the citizenship of your country, they get prepared forged documents in the name of Indian National Lok Dal, which is a regional party of Haryana (India)," it warned.

He said some mischievous people prepare the forged documents in exchange for money and these are then submitted to the Justice Department.

"The office of Indian National Lok Dal situated at Chandigarh (India) is only authorised for (issuing) such documents and nobody is authorised by this office to write to your Justice Department. This office has issued the documents for asylum only for two persons and all other documents submitted to your Justice Department are forged," he wrote.

Asked about the two people mentioned in the letter to whom the INLD office had issued the documents, Malhan said they were party members and their cases were very old.

He added that the INLD only verifies a person's connection to the party and clarified that it does not issue any recommendations for asylum seekers.

In the letter, Malhan also requested the US authorities to get the documents submitted in the INLD's name by the asylum seekers verified by the party.

"Hoping the Justice Department will go through my request so that this malpractice be stopped forthwith," he wrote.