Professor Nitasha Kaul, an Indian-origin UK-based professor at the University of Westminister, was denied entry into India on Sunday. She was sent back to London from the Bengaluru airport based on "orders from Delhi". She shared a tweet thread on Monday in which she trashed the claims and slammed the central government.
She shared on X, "Re all the lies, 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."
Professor Kaul further said that her experience was harrowing, but the humiliation is not her's, 'it is that of a ridiculous insecure regime.' Her post on X read, "I urge you to think beyond walls of hate against those different from you. And to read and understand what I say and think, before rushing to condemn. It’s hard but it’s possible."
Professor Kaul was reportedly invited by the Karnataka government to participate as a speaker in the two-day Constitution and National Unity Convention -2024’ organised on February 24 and 25.
As per Nitasha Kaul, she was denied entry because of her opinions on democratic and constitutional values.
The UK national claimed she was given no reason by immigration officials.
Kaul said, "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 described her ordeal, saying, "I spent 12 hours in a flight from London to Bangalore, several hours at immigration where they shuttled me here and there, provided no info on process, then 24 hours in a holding cell (no BA flight back until next day) under direct cctv w (with) restricted movement, a narrow area to lie down."
She said she was denied entry into India at the behest of the central government as she had criticised the RSS in the past.
Also watch: Why was Nitasha Kaul, Kashmiri Pandit professor in UK, denied entry to India?