UK: Indian Students Hold Protest Outside Oxford Union Against Kashmir Debate Featuring Speakers With Terror Links

A group of Indian students on Thursday (15 November) staged a protest outside the Oxford Union in the United Kingdom over hosting of a debate titled, "This House Believes in the Independent State of Kashmir."

Oxford Union is the debating society of Oxford University.

The event, organised by the Oxford Union contested the political status of Kashmir, a region historically disputed by India and Pakistan.

Huge cries of "It is known far and wide, Oxford Union stands on the terrorist side" were heard as the protestors condemned the hosting of debate with speakers with alleged links to terrorism.

In the protest, outside the Oxford Union, the students holding banners also chanted Hindi slogans, "Bharat mata ki jai, Vande Matram."

Among the speakers supporting the motion were Muzzamil Ayyub Thakur and Professor Zafar Khan, who serves as the chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Diplomatic Bureau.

INSIGHT UK, a British Hindu organisation, voiced strong objections to the debate.

In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), the group stated, “We have sent a formal letter to Oxford Union expressing deep concerns over their decision to host the debate. The invitation of speakers with alleged links to terrorism is particularly alarming and raises serious questions about the integrity of this debate.”

In its letter, the group stated that speakers Muzzammil Ayyub Thakur and Zafar Khan had ties to organisations associated with violent extremism and terrorism.

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