NEW DELHI: UK academic Nitasha Kaul was deported upon arrival at Bengaluru airport on the basis of a preventive lookout circular opened against her after Indian agencies flagged her consistent “pro-separatist comments” and “anti-India” line on Kashmir taken on various public fora, according to government sources.
Kaul is an ‘Overseas Citizen of India’ (OCI) card holder, which makes her eligible for lifelong visa-free travel to India.She was invited by Siddaramaiah govt in Karnataka to participate at its two-day ‘Constitution and National Unity Convention-2024’ on Feb 24 and 25. After she was denied entry by immigration authorities at Bengaluru airport and put on the next flight back to UK, Kaul claimed on X that the officers she spoke to attributed the denied entry to “orders from Delhi”.
Confirming that lookout circular was meant to prevent her from reiterating her “anti-India” views on Indian soil, a source hinted at the possibility of her also being ‘blacklisted’ on the same grounds.
The academic – who had submitted a written testimony to US House of Representatives committee a couple of months after abrogation of Article 370 in J&K, criticising Indian govt’s “undemocratic actions in Kashmir” while repeatedly referring to the region as India-administered Kashmir – has been on radar of Indian security agencies not only for her critical observations on Indian govt’s actions in Kashmir but also for justifying terrorism there as armed struggle for freedom and also denying any genocide of Kashmir Pandits, a community she belongs to, in the Valley. Intelligence agencies have reported that Pakistan’s ISI has been amplifying her statements and articles as part of its “anti-India propaganda” on Kashmir issue.
“Preventive LOC is issued on request of a law enforcement agency, based on assessment and analysis of background of a subject particularly any history of statements or publicly-stated views challenging sovereignty, unity or integrity of India, and possibility of the person taking a similar line when in India,” said an officer.
Kaul is an ‘Overseas Citizen of India’ (OCI) card holder, which makes her eligible for lifelong visa-free travel to India.She was invited by Siddaramaiah govt in Karnataka to participate at its two-day ‘Constitution and National Unity Convention-2024’ on Feb 24 and 25. After she was denied entry by immigration authorities at Bengaluru airport and put on the next flight back to UK, Kaul claimed on X that the officers she spoke to attributed the denied entry to “orders from Delhi”.
Confirming that lookout circular was meant to prevent her from reiterating her “anti-India” views on Indian soil, a source hinted at the possibility of her also being ‘blacklisted’ on the same grounds.
The academic – who had submitted a written testimony to US House of Representatives committee a couple of months after abrogation of Article 370 in J&K, criticising Indian govt’s “undemocratic actions in Kashmir” while repeatedly referring to the region as India-administered Kashmir – has been on radar of Indian security agencies not only for her critical observations on Indian govt’s actions in Kashmir but also for justifying terrorism there as armed struggle for freedom and also denying any genocide of Kashmir Pandits, a community she belongs to, in the Valley. Intelligence agencies have reported that Pakistan’s ISI has been amplifying her statements and articles as part of its “anti-India propaganda” on Kashmir issue.
“Preventive LOC is issued on request of a law enforcement agency, based on assessment and analysis of background of a subject particularly any history of statements or publicly-stated views challenging sovereignty, unity or integrity of India, and possibility of the person taking a similar line when in India,” said an officer.