- Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Professor Nitasha Kaul recently claimed that she was deported from India immediately after she arrived at the airport in the southern city of Bengaluru to attend an event on constitutional rights from the government of the southern state of Karnataka.
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE Indian external affairs ministry on Thursday (29) spoke out on the issue of a UK-based Indian-origin academic being denied entry in India saying the entry of foreign nationals into the country is a sovereign decision.
Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson of the ministry, said at a weekly media briefing in New Delhi, “This particular UK national (Nitasha Kaul) came to India on February 22. As you know, the entry of foreign nationals into our country is a sovereign decision…”
Last week, professor Nitasha Kaul claimed that she was deported from India immediately after she arrived at the airport in the southern city of Bengaluru to attend an event on constitutional rights from the government of the southern state of Karnataka.
Read: Indian-origin academic ‘denied’ entry in Bengaluru, sent back to UK
India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by prime minister Narendra Modi is in opposition in Karnataka which is ruled by the Indian National Congress.
Read: UK MP denied boarding Canada flight over his name Mohammad
In a post on X on February 25, Kaul said, “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).”
IMPORTANT: 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). THREAD 1/n pic.twitter.com/uv7lmWhs4k
— Professor Nitasha Kaul, PhD (@NitashaKaul) February 25, 2024
“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,” she added in another of her series of posts on X related to the incident.
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.
— Professor Nitasha Kaul, PhD (@NitashaKaul) February 25, 2024
The Hindu nationalist BJP in the state called Kaul a Pakistan sympathiser. It also slammed the government of Karnataka saying it had disgraced the Indian Constitution by inviting Kaul. It said the government of Karnataka was channeling funds to terror-sympathisers, urban Naxals, anti-nationals and riots accused to destabilise India ahead of the general elections due in a few months.
