Who is Nitasha Kaul, Kashmiri pandit UK professor deported from Bengaluru for supporting separatists?

UK academic Nitasha Kaul was deported on arrival at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru, India. The deportation was based on a 'preventive lookout circular' issued by government agencies due to her consistent support for separatist movements in Kashmir and her anti-India stance. Kaul, who holds an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, had been invited by the Karnataka government to participate in a conference on India's Constitution. However, upon her arrival, she was denied entry by immigration officers. She claimed that they cited 'orders from Delhi' as the reason for barring her entry.

Who is Nitasha Kaul

➤ Nitasha Kaul, of Indian descent and based in the UK, holds a professorship at the University of Westminster, London, specializing in politics, international relations, and critical interdisciplinary studies.

➤ Kaul earned a BA Honours in economics from SRCC, Delhi University, followed by a master's in Economics with a focus on Public Policy, and a Joint Ph.D. in Economics and Philosophy from the University of Hull, UK, completed in 2003.


➤ Between 2002 and 2007, she served as an assistant professor of economics at the Bristol Business School. In 2010, she held the position of associate professor in creative writing at the Royal Thimphu College in Bhutan.

➤ In addition to her academic pursuits, Kaul is a novelist, writer, and poet. Her debut publication, a scholarly monograph titled ‘Imagining Economics Otherwise: encounters with identity/difference’ (Routledge, 2007), explores the intersection of economics and philosophy.

➤ She has also co-edited significant works, including a special volume for Economic and Political Weekly (EPW) in 2018 focused on ‘Women and Kashmir’. Furthermore, Kaul co-edited 'Can you Hear Kashmiri Women Speak? Narratives of Resistance and Resilience' (Women Unlimited, 2020) and has provided expert testimony on Kashmir and Human Rights post the 2019 revocation of autonomy for the region, presenting her academic insights at the US Congress.


The denial of entry to Professor Nitasha Kaul sparked a political controversy in Karnataka, with the ruling Congress party and the opposition BJP engaging in a war of words. The incident occurred just a day after Kaul's invitation by the state government. The Congress party criticized the denial, expressing concerns about individual rights and the autonomy of state governments. Social welfare minister HC Mahadevappa condemned the incident as a violation of state rights and called on patriotic Indians to reflect on the threats to the constitutional idea of India.

Industries minister MB Patil also condemned the deportation, questioning the state of democracy in India and accusing the BJP of disregarding constitutional values and freedom of speech. Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad raised concerns about the central government's interference in the state government's decision to invite an academic, highlighting the importance of freedom of expression and participation in constitutional debates.

On the other hand, the BJP criticized the Congress for inviting what they described as an 'anti-India' propagandist. BJP state president BY Vijayendra condemned the Congress government's decision, accusing them of supporting sympathizers of the 'TUKDE TUKDE GANG' and wasting funds on unnecessary expenditures. Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar also took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, suggesting his sympathies towards 'terror appeasers' in relation to the incident.

Former Infosys chief finance officer Mohandas Pai supported the BJP's stance, justifying Professor Kaul's deportation and suggesting that she continue her activities outside of India. Professor Nitasha Kaul, who is a faculty member at the University of Westminster in the UK, expressed her disappointment over the incident, stating that she was denied entry despite being invited as an esteemed delegate by the Congress-ruled state government of Karnataka. She emphasized that this hindered discussions on democratic and constitutional values.