Political slugfest after UK-based Kashmiri Pandit academic Nitasha Kaul denied entry into India despite Karnataka govt's invitation

Political slugfest after Kashmiri Pandit academic Nitasha Kaul denied entry into India despite Karnataka govt`s invitation. Pic/X

A Kashmiri Pandit academic based in the United Kingdom, Professor Nitasha Kaul has found herself at the centre of a contentious debate on democratic principles and political interference after being denied entry to India. Kaul, who hails from a Kashmiri Pandit background and serves as a faculty member at the University of Westminster, was invited by the Karnataka government to participate in a two-day conference titled 'Constitution and National Unity Convention - 2024'. However, upon her arrival at Bengaluru airport, she was barred from entering the country.

Kaul took to social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), to express her dismay and share her ordeal. She revealed that despite possessing valid travel documents, including a UK passport and Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI), she was provided with no explanation for the denial of entry by immigration officials. The academic claimed that she had received no prior notice or information from the Indian government regarding the decision.

According to Kaul, she underwent a gruelling experience at the airport, enduring hours of uncertainty and being shuttled around without clarity on the immigration process. She detailed spending a day in a holding cell with restricted movement, limited access to necessities such as food and water, and minimal comfort.

The incident sparked a political firestorm, with the Karnataka BJP swiftly labelling Kaul as an "anti-India element" and criticizing the Congress-led state government for extending the invitation. The saffron party accused Kaul of being sympathetic to Pakistan and associated her with what they termed a 'Break India Brigade'. They further lambasted the Congress government for allegedly endangering national unity and integrity by inviting Kaul, who has previously expressed critical views on topics such as Kashmir and Hindu nationalism.

In response to the accusations, Kaul defended her credentials as a globally respected academic and reiterated her commitment to liberal democratic values. She emphasized her stance against authoritarianism and highlighted her extensive body of work spanning various disciplines and regions. Kaul also expressed concern over the perceived threats to academic freedom and democratic discourse in India, citing instances of harassment and intimidation she has faced in the past.

The denial of entry to Nitasha Kaul, a respected academic invited by the Karnataka government, has stirred significant controversy, raising questions about the state of democracy and freedom of expression in India.

A political slugfest erupted between the ruling Congress and the BJP in Karnataka.

Karnataka Ministers alleged on the incident shows how the individual rights as well the rights of the state governments are being trampled upon, while the BJP described the professor at the University of Westminster Nitasha Kaul, who is also an Overseas Citizen of India, "a known terrorist sympathizer & one who constantly spews venom & disseminates anti-India propaganda."

Karnataka Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa said the denial "is a fresh demonstration of how the rights of state governments are being repeatedly trampled".

"It is a stark reminder of the multiple challenges to the constitutional idea of India. All patriotic Indians must reflect on these threats and unite to reclaim our Constitution," he said.

It is the right of the Karnataka Government to both organise a convention on Constitution and to host experts who can meaningfully contribute to how the state's development and national interest can be furthered. "Our rights (and hence the federal principles enshrined in our Constitution) were once again undermined by the Government of India," the Minister said.

"It cannot be selectively weaponised to circumscribe the rights of Indians (including diaspora Indians who are equal partners in the nation's development). If we claim to be the Mother of Democracy, we need to also steadfastly adhere to all those values underpinning our democracy," Mahadevappa said.

BJP state president B Y Vijayendra condemned the Karnataka government for inviting her.

"Highly Disgusting of the @siddaramaiah govt to whitewash the crimes of 'TUKDE TUKDE GANG' by inviting its sympathizer Nitasha Kaul for a talk on 'Constitution & Unity of India'," Vijayendra said on a social media site 'X'.

"A known terrorist sympathizer & one who constantly spews venom & disseminates anti-India propaganda in connivance with the enemies of the Indian state is accorded a RED carpet welcome by the @INCIndia ruled Karnataka govt is Highly Condemnable & an Unpardonable crime," the Shikaripura MLA said.

He added that it was equally disgusting that all the top leaders of the Congress party attended the conference.

"What is more worrisome & annoying of the @siddaramaiah govt is its indulgence in unwanted expenditures involving crores of rupees when our state & the farmers are already in distress owing to unprecedented drought & severe water crisis," Vijayendra said.

Minister for Large and Medium Industries M B Patil said the incident showed "what type of democracy is there in India, how does the BJP respects the Constitution and the status of the freedom of speech and individual freedom".

"They (BJP) try to suppress them (liberties). This is not a good thing for our country because in our country Baba Saheb Ambedkar has given a world class Constitution where everyone's views are respected. There is a freedom to talk," Patil said.

Shivajinagar Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad wondered if there was any dictatorial system in the country as, he alleged, the individual's freedom of expression was curbed.

"A state government in a federal system invites an academic who is of Indian origin but she was told by the central government that she cannot enter the country just because she doesn't subscribe to your ideology. Is this dictatorship in the country today? Is there no freedom of expression or no freedom to participate in a debate on the Constitution?" he sought to know.