On Thursday, Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, reiterated that the decision to grant entry to a foreign national into the country is a matter of sovereign discretion.
This explanation came in response to the case of UK writer Nitasha Kaul being denied entry into India. Kaul, of Kashmiri descent residing in the UK, shared her experience on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), detailing her refusal of entry at Bengaluru airport despite being invited by the Karnataka government for a seminar. Kaul attributed the decision to authorities in New Delhi, citing her previous writings critical of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). BJP leaders labeled Kaul as a ‘known sympathiser’ of terrorists, alleging her spreading of anti-India sentiments.
“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),” tweeted Kaul on 25 February.
Girish Bharadwaj, a leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Karnataka, has raised concerns about the Congress government in Karnataka inviting Nitasha Kaul. He has penned a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging the ministry to revoke Nitasha Kaul’s Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card. “She frequently visits India with a malicious agenda that goes against the interests of our country. Union government should notify all state governments to refrain from inviting Dr Kaul as guest for any events in India,” he wrote.
“This particular UK national (Nitasha Kaul) came to India on 22nd Feb. As you know, the entry of foreign nationals into our country is a sovereign decision. I leave it at that,” the MEA spokesperson said.
Nitasha Kaul tweeted, “”I am not married to a Pakistani, not Muslim convert, not a pawn of China, not a puppet of West, not a commie, not a jihadi, not Pak sympathiser, not terrorist supporter, not anti-India, not part of a gang. I am what authoritarians fear — a thinking woman,” alleging that she was facing death threats from the right-wing ecosystem of the country after she was deported.
“I was treated like a criminal,” adding it was “unjust and unfair” and “a harrowing experience”, Nitasha Kaul told Karan Thapar in her first interview to talk about her deportation from India.
Kaul, who is a professor of Politics International Relations and Critical Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Westminster in the UK, explained that she was born, brought up and studied in India. She said: “I consider myself Indian, I care very much for India”.
