Cambridge College denies having invited 'Kashmir Files' maker to speak

Cambridge University's Fitzwilliam College affirmed Vivek Agnihotri, maker of the controversial film 'Kashmir Files', was not invited to speak by the college. And the Oxford Union, a debating society, has postponed his speaking engagement at its premises.

Dr Nicola Jones, director of communications at Fitzwilliam College, clarified: 'Fitz Events, the conference busiess of Fitzwilliam College, accepted a booking from Lord Rana Foundation (Rana being an Indian-origin peer in the British House of Lords) to hold an event on 30 May 2022. This private commercial booking was neither endorsed nor promoted by the College.

Permission to hold the event was given 'with an agreement not to record proceedings to ensure the safety of all participants', she said. Jones added: 'Prior permission - which is always required to undertake filming on the College site - had not been obtained.' She then sounding annoyed stated: 'It would appear from social media posts following the event that some attendees broke the agreement not to film.'

In a video post on Twitter, Agnihotri projected himself as being on a 'humanity tour' of Europe. He insisted 'a lot of prestigious places like Cambridge University' had invited him. Since Fitzwilliam College has now laid threadbare he wasn't invited by the college - and since he is not known to have attended any other event at Cambridge University - there was obviously no invitation of any kind from the university either.

He ranted that not being allowed to 'video record' his function 'was a 100% curbing of freedom of expression'. He alleged this happened because 'a few Pakistani and Kashmiri Muslim students protested against it'. He called them 'genocide deniers' and 'fascists'.

He then revealed he had been invited to speak at the Oxford Union on 31 May, but was told there had been a 'double booking' and so his event needed to be postponed to 1 July - when Oxford University's summer holidays would have started and there would be no students in the campuses.

According to him 'Hindus are in a minority in Oxford University, this is the oppression of minority, this is Hindu-phobia, this is fascism'. To say Hindus are in a minority at Oxford is ridiculous, as this would naturally be the case at an institution in a country where the population is overwhelmingly Christian and the intake is from all corners of the world.

He threatened: 'I am going to file a law suit against them (Oxford Union).' There was no comment from the Oxford Union.