London, UK: The Indian government has revoked the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status of Nitasha Kaul, an educationist of Indian origin.
This action was taken on allegations of her involvement in activities deemed anti-India. According to official statements, "Numerous international and social media outlets are publishing content critical of India, and speeches are being delivered that undermine the country's sovereignty and institutions with malicious intent, ignoring facts and showing disrespect to historical truths."
Kaul posted the notification from the government on her social media accounts on Sunday. She expressed, "I have been penalized for my contributions to the field of education. This is deeply troubling and yet another example of the Modi administration's anti-minority stance and undemocratic policies."
The OCI status is a special privilege granted by the government to persons of Indian descent holding foreign citizenship, offering lifelong visa-free access to India without restrictions.
Last year, Kaul had been invited by the Congress-led government in Karnataka to speak in Bengaluru on the topic of 'Democracy and Constitutional Values.'
However, upon arrival at the airport, she was barred from entry by authorities and sent back to the UK within 24 hours.
She claimed this was due to her criticism of the RSS, stating, "Despite coming on an official invitation, holding a UK passport and a valid OCI card, the central government refused me entry.
This not only insults me but also the Congress government that invited me." Meanwhile, the BJP criticized the Karnataka government for hosting Kaul, labeling her a Pakistani sympathizer allegedly advocating for India's disintegration.
The party accused the Congress government of threatening the country's unity through such actions.
About Nitasha Kaul:
Nitasha Kaul is a professor specializing in politics and international relations at the University of Westminster, London. She hails from a Kashmiri Pandit family that relocated from Jammu and Kashmir to Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.
Raised in Delhi, Kaul completed her BA (Honours) in Economics at Delhi University before moving to England in 1997 at age 21 for her Master's studies at the University of Hull.
She holds a Master's degree in Economics as well as a PhD in Economics and Philosophy. Kaul has served as an assistant professor of economics at Bristol Business School and, in 2010, was an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Royal Thimphu College in Bhutan. Besides academia, she is also recognized as a writer and poet.
