Nitasha Kaul, who is a professor at University of Westminster, is a Kashmiri Pandit British citizen who works as a scholar in the UK.
London-based Indian-origin professor Nitasha Kaul took to her social media to reveal that her Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) had been cancelled on Sunday. Kaul, who is a professor at University of Westminster, is a Kashmiri Pandit British citizen who works as a scholar in the UK.
“I received a cancellation of my OCI (Overseas Citizenship of #India) today after arriving home. A bad faith, vindictive, cruel example of TNR (transnational repression) punishing me for scholarly work on anti-minority & anti-democratic policies of Modi rule,” the professor wrote on social media platform X on May 18.
The screenshot of a part of the notice attached to her post read: “And whereas, it has been brought to the notice of the Government of India that you have been found indulging in anti-India activities, motivated by malice and complete disregard for facts or history. Through your inimical writings, speeches and journalistic activities at various international forums and on social media platforms, you regularly target India and its institutions on the matters of India’s sovereignty.”
Who is Nitisha Kaul?
The Indian origin scholar graduated from Delhi University’s Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), and did her master’s and PhD from the UK’s Hull University.
In a follow-up post, she recalled the incident from the previous year when she was deported just hours after arriving at Bengaluru airport. She described the episode as an affront to the Karnataka state government which had extended the invitation to her.
Kaul had been invited to speak at a convention organised by the state government, but claimed that immigration officials denied her entry, informally citing her criticism of the RSS as the reason for the decision.
“Denied entry to India for speaking on democratic & constitutional values. I was invited to a conference as (an) esteemed delegate by (the) Govt of Karnataka (Congress-ruled state) but (the) Centre refused me entry. All my documents were valid & current (UK passport & OCI),” the academician posted last year.
What is an OCI status?
Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) is a special designation granted to individuals of Indian origin who are citizens of another country. As per the Ministry of Home Affairs, it provides them with a multiple-entry, life-long visa to visit India, enabling them to travel and reside in the country without any restrictions.