Kashmiri Pandit academic denied entry to India, deported from airport
New Delhi: A Kashmiri Pandit academic, Professor Nitasha Kaul, based in the United Kingdom, faced a troubling situation at the hands of Indian government upon her arrival at Bengaluru airport.
According to Kashmir Media Service, invited by the Congress-led Karnataka government to participate in the ‘Constitution and National Unity Convention – 2024’, Professor Kaul was denied entry into India and subsequently deported to the UK.
Professor Kaul, a professor at the University of Westminster, expressed her dismay over the lack of explanation provided by immigration officials at Bengaluru airport regarding the denial of entry. Despite being invited by the Karnataka government, she claimed to have received no prior notice from the Indian government regarding the decision.
“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),” she said, sharing pictures of the invitation extended to her by the Karnataka government and other conference-related communications.
The two-day convention, organized by the Karnataka government, did not have an immediate response to the incident.
Highlighting her valid travel documents, including her UK passport and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, Professor Kaul emphasized her invitation as an esteemed delegate by the Congress-ruled state government of Karnataka.
In response to the incident, Professor Kaul indicated that authorities unofficially suggested her criticism of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) might have been a reason for the denial of entry.
The Karnataka BJP swiftly criticized Professor Kaul, labeling her an “anti-India element” and accusing her of being part of a ‘Break India Brigade’. They referred to her as a “Pakistani sympathizer” and pointed out her writings critical of certain Indian political ideologies.
Professor Kaul and the Karnataka BJP shared a document indicating her refusal to land in India, listing her nationality as the United Kingdom. Professor Kaul described her experience at immigration, where she spent hours without receiving any information about the process, followed by a 24-hour detention in a holding cell.
The BJP criticized the Congress-led Karnataka government for extending an invitation to Professor Kaul, accusing it of threatening India’s unity and integrity. They claimed security agencies intervened to prevent what they termed as an “anti-India element” from entering the country.
The incident has stirred controversy and raised concerns about academic freedom and the treatment of scholars critical of certain political ideologies in India.
