Nitasha Kaul, a British writer of Kashmiri origin and politics professor at the University of Westminster in London, claimed on X that she was denied entry to India by the Union government. Kaul alleged that her denial of entry was in retaliation for her vocal advocacy of democratic and constitutional principles.
In a social media post on Sunday, Kaul expressed her frustration: “Denied entry to #India for speaking on democratic & constitutional values. I was invited to a conference as esteemed delegate by Govt of #Karnataka (Congress-ruled state) but Centre refused me entry. All my documents were valid & current (UK passport & OCI).”
Kaul was invited by Congress-led Karnataka government as a speaker at its Constitution and National Unity Convention on Saturday and Sunday to talk on the topic “Constitution and Democracy”. She was asked to leave the Bengaluru airport on the orders of the Union government despite having a valid visa.
Kaul said, “I was given no reason by immigration except ‘we cannot do anything, orders from Delhi’. My travel & logistics had been arranged by Karnataka & I had the official letter with me. I received no notice or info in advance from Delhi that I would not be allowed to enter.”
“I spent 12 hours in a flight from London to Bangalore, several hours at immig where they shuttled me here & there, provided no info on process, then 24 hours in a holding cell (no BA flight back until next day) under direct cctv w restricted movement, a narrow area to lie down and no easy access to food and water, made dozens of calls to airport for basic things as a pillow and blanket, which they refused to provide, then 12 hours on the flight back to London,” she further alleged.
A Kashmiri pandit by birth, Kaul disclosed that officials informally cited her past criticism of the RSS, a far-right Hindu nationalist group, as the reason behind her entry denial.
“Decades of my work speak for me. The officials informally made references to my criticism of RSS, a far-right Hindu nationalist paramilitary from years ago. I have traveled to India numerous times since. I was invited by a state govt, but refused entry by the central govt,” she said.
In 2019, Kaul appeared as a crucial witness before the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs, providing testimony on the human rights violations in Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370, which gave a special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
In her posts on X, Kaul highlighted the persistent threats she has faced from right-wing Hindutva trolls, including threats of violence and intimidation directed at her elderly mother.
“I’ve always dismissed such threats as petty… When I was speaking on AI & Buddhism in a third country, an Indian official there tried to strong-arm me into giving them advice & info on that country too, which I refused and registered a complaint on email in writing,” she added.
Asserting her stance, Kaul stated, “You cannot buy me or bully me, and it is always a No to those who do not believe in decency.”
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