On 18th May, British academician Nitasha Kaul, widely known for her consistent criticism of Indian government policies, launched a scathing attack on the Indian authorities after her Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card was cancelled. Expressing her anger on X (formerly Twitter), she wrote, “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.”

Her post came shortly after she returned home, suggesting that the cancellation notice awaited her upon arrival. Kaul has been vocal in the past about her opposition to the current Indian administration, often raising alarms over what she labels as “anti-democratic” governance. In a follow-up post, she brought up a prior incident, where she was denied entry into India despite having been officially invited by a non-BJP government. She wrote, “Modi BJP govt humiliated themselves & insulted non-BJP Karnataka state govt that invited me last year by ill-treating me & in spite of my 20,000 word response to their ridiculous inanity about ‘anti-India’, they have chosen to do this by a rigged process.”

Her claims suggest that she had prepared a detailed rebuttal, approximately 20,000 words long, in response to allegations of being “anti-India.” However, she believes that the process used to reach the cancellation decision was unfair. She further questioned the Indian government’s credibility on international platforms by writing, “Will overseas PR delegations of GOI say why ‘mother of #democracy’ denies me access to my mother? This is thin-skinned, petty insecurity with no respect for well-intentioned dissent that arrests/imprisons citizens in India & bars access to family for overseas citizens of India.”

Her emotional outburst highlighted her inability to meet her family in India and criticized the Indian state for being intolerant to dissent, drawing a stark contrast between its global democratic image and domestic actions.

OCI is not a right

While Kaul’s grievances reflect personal and political disappointment, it is important to understand that an OCI card is not an entitlement but a conditional privilege. The Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) scheme was introduced to allow long-term residency to Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs). It applies to those who were citizens of India on or after 26th January 1950, or are eligible to become citizens based on that timeline. It also extends to foreigners who are married to Indian nationals or have parents or grandparents who were Indian citizens.

However, the card does not equate to citizenship and can be withdrawn under certain conditions. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Government of India holds full authority to revoke an OCI card if it is discovered that:

• The card was acquired through fraudulent means,

• There was concealment of critical information during the application,

• The holder has shown disaffection towards the Constitution of India,

• The individual has been involved in unlawful trade, or

• Has communicated with enemy states, or

• Acted against the sovereignty and integrity of India.

As per the legal provisions, OCI status is not a permanent, inviolable right. The rules are very clear that this status can be cancelled if any of these conditions are violated.

Relevant source for OCI conditions and cancellation: Ministry of Home Affairs – OCI Guidelines

This explanation offers clarity on why Nitasha Kaul’s OCI card may have been revoked and sets the legal backdrop to what she has referred to as “vindictive” action. Whether one agrees with her or not, the legal status of an OCI card remains a privilege—subject to the values, laws, and constitutional integrity of India.

Nitasha’s OCI card revoked because of her anti-India activities

In a significant development that sparked intense debate online, the Government of India (GoI) officially revoked the OCI card of Nitasha Kaul, citing her persistent anti-India conduct. Kaul, a British academic of Kashmiri descent, had shared part of the revocation document, which clearly spelled out the grounds for the cancellation. The statement read, “AND WHEREAS, it has been brought to the notice of the Government of India that you have been found indulging in anti-India activities, motivated by malice and complete disregard for facts or history. Through your numerous inimical writings, speeches and journalistic activities at various international forums and on social media platforms, you regularly target India and its institutions on the matters of India’s sovereignty.”

The GoI maintained a firm stance, stating that her OCI status was not revoked arbitrarily, but in direct response to her ongoing campaign of misinformation and hostility against India’s constitutional framework and sovereign interests. Officials emphasized that her actions consistently showed disregard for India's historical and institutional integrity.

Nitasha Kaul has been known for her repeated efforts to amplify anti-India narratives, especially in global academic and activist circles. A particularly controversial episode took place in May 2024, when she used fiction to question India’s democratic processes. She publicly shared a dream on social media that appeared to mock the integrity of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in India. In her own words, “Recently, at a workshop lunch, I was telling a British colleague that I’d not slept well prev night due to dreams where people were voting on EVMs but votes were not being counted. A Turkish colleague overheard & said he too used to have troubled dreams during Erdogan’s elections in Turkey!” This remark, although wrapped in anecdotal language, was interpreted as an attempt to lend imaginary weight to the Congress party’s unverified claims about the EVM system in India.

Another major incident occurred in February 2024, when Kaul was deported from Bengaluru Airport upon her arrival. This decision was executed based on a preventive Look Out Circular (LOC) issued by Indian authorities, who flagged her history of “pro-separatist” remarks and her stance on Kashmir, which they believed was hostile to India's unity. Kaul stated that immigration officials stopped her, citing “orders from Delhi.” She maintained that she had all the necessary documents for her visit, yet faced undue hardship. She declared that she would continue advocating “democracy and civil liberties” regardless of such setbacks. In a tone similar to her recent OCI card reaction, she once again took to X (formerly Twitter) to vent her frustration.

Her record also includes propagating misinformation about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and participating in events organized by groups widely criticized for radical Islamic leanings, such as ‘Stand With Kashmir (SWK)’, ‘Kashmir Solidarity Movement (KSM)’, and the ‘Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC)’. These groups have consistently been under scrutiny for their stance on Kashmir and their alleged efforts to internationalize what India regards as a domestic issue.

Kaul was also among the vocal figures demanding the cancellation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address at the Wharton School of Business, signaling her long-standing opposition to the current Indian government on global platforms. What sparked greater outrage, however, was her reaction to the tragic death of former Chief of Defence Staff (CoDS) Bipin Rawat in December 2021. She reportedly mocked his death and attempted to justify the tragedy by portraying Rawat as an “enemy of Kashmiris.”

Who is Nitasha Kaul?

According to her February 2024 thread on X, Kaul identifies her roots as being tied to a “downtown mohalla in Srinagar, Kashmir.” She also mentioned being born in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, which she described as “the land of saffron to the ‘saffronisation’ heartland.” These statements reflect her continued political messaging and critique of Indian nationalism.

Professionally, Nitasha Kaul holds an impressive academic background. She is a professor of Politics, International Relations, and Critical Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Westminster. Her credentials include a BA Honours in Economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), University of Delhi, a Master’s degree in Economics with a specialization in Public Policy, and a Joint PhD in Economics and Philosophy from the University of Hull, UK. This academic profile is publicly available via the CV linked on her X profile.

She also serves as the Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD) at Westminster’s School of Social Sciences. In addition to her scholarly work, she is a published author. Her novels “Residue” and “Future Tense” delve into the themes of identity, trauma, and displacement, centered around the Kashmir conflict. Notably, “Residue,” a novel about being a “Kashmiri outside of Kashmir,” was shortlisted for the 2009 Man Asian Literary Prize, making it one of the five Asian works selected for the honour.

Kaul also co-edited the volume “Can You Hear Kashmiri Women Speak? Narratives of Resistance and Resilience,” further establishing her niche in writing that intersects gender, resistance, and conflict in the context of Kashmir.

Despite her controversies, Kaul maintains that she is not anti-India, but pro-democracy. She has repeatedly asserted her commitment to liberal democratic values, claiming she is motivated by her concern for “challenging misogyny, sustainability, civil & political liberties, rule of law.”

Recounting her deportation experience from India in early 2024, she gave a detailed account of her ordeal. She stated that she was kept at immigration for several hours, followed by a 24-hour detention. She described the conditions as harsh, saying she was “under direct CCTV with restricted movement, a narrow area to lie down and no easy access to food and water, made dozens of calls to airport for basic things as a pillow and blanket, which they refused to provide, then 12 hours on the flight back to London.”

This part of her story, whether seen as a personal struggle or political statement, has added fuel to the ongoing debate over who qualifies for the OCI privilege and how India should respond to dissent that crosses the line into antagonism against the state.

Details on Nitasha Kaul's academic background: University of Westminster – Dr. Nitasha Kaul