LONDON (Kashmir English): The Indian government has cancelled the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status of British-based Kashmiri academic Professor Nitasha Kaul, a move she has described as retaliation for criticising the Modi government’s policies.
Professor Kaul shared a copy of the notice on social media platform X, saying, “ I received a cancellation of my #OCI (Overseas Citizenship of #India) *today* after arriving home. A bad faith, vindictive, cruel example of #TNR (transnational repression) punishing me for scholarly work on anti-minority & anti-democratic policies of #Modi rule.”
She said the Indian government’s decision was a direct result of her efforts to highlight its undemocratic actions and discriminatory policies towards minorities.
The official cancellation letter Prof Nitasha Kaul posted stated that the government had taken notice of her so-called “anti-India activities”, describing them as misleading and malicious.
According to the document, Professor Kaul has consistently used international forums and social media to criticise India’s sovereignty and target its institutions.
IMPORTANT NOTE – I received a cancellation of my #OCI (Overseas Citizenship of #India) *today* after arriving home. A bad faith, vindictive, cruel example of #TNR (transnational repression) punishing me for scholarly work on anti-minority & anti-democratic policies of #Modi rule. pic.twitter.com/7L60klIfrv
— Professor Nitasha Kaul, PhD (@NitashaKaul) May 18, 2025
Last year, she was invited to India by the Karnataka government but was denied entry upon arrival at Bengaluru Airport. Immigration officials reportedly told her they couldnt do anything, and that they had received instructions from Delhi, before sending her back to the UK.
Professor Nitasha Kaul is a London-based academic of Indian heritage, who holds a PhD and has family roots in Srinagar, Indian-occupied Kashmir. She was born in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.
Nitasha Kaul, a British citizen of Kashmiri Pandit background, is currently a professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Westminster, London.
The OCI is a form of long-term residency offered by India to individuals of Indian origin who have acquired foreign nationality. It allows multiple entries and grants visa-free travel and stay in India for life, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
