Newly Naturalised Indian Scientist Vishvanata: Critics Call Her a Fraud, She Calls It Disinformation
After the Saeima voted to grant Latvian citizenship to Indian scientist Divya Kanan Vishvanata, social media users questioned her education and publications. LU professor Kristaps Jaudzems called her a fraud, while she says the criticism is disinformation.
The Saeima, Latvia's parliament, has decided to grant Latvian citizenship to Indian scientist Divya Kanan Vishvanata, and the decision has set off a public dispute over her qualifications. Soon after the vote, several social media users began questioning both her education and her publications. The matter touches the credibility of a parliamentary decision: the President of Latvia has also become involved, urging the Saeima to remove any doubts about its decision.
Sharp assessments from scientists
Part of Latvia's scientific community is outraged by the situation. Kristaps Jaudzems, dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences at the University of Latvia (LU) and a full member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, spoke on the Delfi TV programme "Kāpēc". He said this Indian citizen could not be called a scientist in Latvia at all. Asking rhetorically what else she could be called, he answered: a fraud.
Criticism from a politician
Edvīns Šnore, parliamentary secretary of the Ministry of the Interior and a member of the National Alliance party, pointed to inconsistencies in the information Vishvanata has provided about her education. He also criticised the monograph she has published, meaning a scholarly book devoted to a single subject.
Vishvanata's response
Vishvanata rejects the criticism. She has stated that the reactions on social media stem from disinformation and unverified reports rather than real facts.
The available information shows that the dispute over the citizenship decision is continuing. Critics question the data she has provided and the quality of her work, while she considers the accusations unfounded.
