Pal

MEMORANDUM **

Harmail Singh Pal, a native and citizen of India, petitions for review of a decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”) dismissing his appeal from an immigration judge’s (“IJ”) denial of asylum and withholding of removal. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1252 (a). Because the BIA conducted an independent review of the record, we review the BIA’s decision under the substantial evidence standard and must uphold it unless the evidence compels a reasonable factfinder to reach a contrary result. See Pal v. INS, 204 F.3d 935 , 937 n. 2 (9th Cir.2000). We deny the petition.

The BIA found that Pal’s testimony lacked credibility and denied his claim on that basis. To support an adverse credibility determination, “the BIA must have a legitimate articulable basis to question the petitioner’s credibility, and must offer a specific, cogent reason for any stated disbelief. The discrepancies must go to the heart of the asylum claim.” Malhi v. INS, 336 F.3d 989, 992-93 (9th Cir.2003) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted).

Substantial evidence supports the BIA’s adverse credibility determination. Pal testified that his father, who was a member of the…