News reports however said the complaint was related to 'Anti-India' behaviour

New Delhi: India’s foreign ministry on Friday said a private individual had registered a complaint against the India-based Wall Street Journal journalist Eric Bellman, but no decision has been taken by the government on his deportation.

The clarification from the ministry came after a Twitter post from India’s state-run Prasar Bharti broadcast service, which said that the deportation of the WSJ's South Asia deputy bureau chief was under consideration. The post was later deleted by Prasar Bharti.

"A complaint was registered against Mr. Eric Bellman by a private individual on government's Online Grievance Redressal platform. Referring the complaint to the related office is a routine matter as per standard procedure," Indian foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said.

"No such decision on deportation has been taken by the Ministry of External Affairs," he said but did not give any details of the nature of the complaint. News reports however said the complaint was related to “anti-India" behaviour.