J Sai Deepak Calls Out 'Pakistani Gambit' As Oxford Union Debate Descends Into Farce

Last Updated:November 28, 2025, 20:19 IST

Deepak's detailed account on X directly contradicted the statement released by the Pakistan High Commission in London, which claimed the Indian side had withdrawn

The final collapse occurred mere hours before the debate was scheduled for November 27. Image/Oxford Union

The highly anticipated debate at the Oxford Union on the motion, “The House Believes That India’s Response to Pakistan is a Populist Strategy Sold as Security Policy", ended in public recrimination, with Indian speaker J Sai Deepak strongly alleging an organisational failure and a deliberate Pakistani gambit to avoid confrontation. His detailed account on X directly contradicted the statement released by the Pakistan High Commission in London, which claimed the Indian side had withdrawn.

Deepak revealed that the entire event was fraught with instability, beginning with the involvement of Pakistani nationals in key positions, specifically naming Moosa Harraj as the Oxford Union President (allegedly the son of Pakistan’s Minister of Defence Production) and Raza Nazar as the Treasurer. He noted that the original high-profile Indian speakers—"former COAS Shri Naravane and Dr Swamy"—pulled out due to unavoidable commitments just two days before the debate, forcing a scramble for replacements.

Despite the short notice, Deepak, who was prepared to argue the case for India, managed to secure the participation of Manu Khajuria and Pt Satish K Sharma from within the UK. The final collapse occurred mere hours before the debate was scheduled for November 27. Deepak states he received a call at 3:13 PM informing him that the Pakistani delegation, which included Hina Rabbani Khar and Khawaja Muhammad Asif, had not yet landed in London, prompting the Indian team to abandon the journey to Oxford.

The situation turned farcical when Deepak claimed to have received confirmation that the Pakistani delegation had, in fact, landed and was staying at a hotel in Oxford. This led him to issue a blistering attack on the Pakistani side for “deserting the battlefield even before the battle begins", suggesting they lacked the courage to face a live debate. He further criticised the Oxford Union leadership for allowing the institution to be “dragged in muck" and become a mouthpiece for the Pakistan High Commission.

In contrast, the Pakistan High Commission released a statement regretting that the Indian delegation—initially listed as General Naravane, Dr Subramanian Swamy, and Sachin Pilot—had “withdrawn at the last minute", handing a “walkover" to the Pakistani side. They framed the Indian withdrawal as a lack of confidence in defending India’s security policy in a “neutral and intellectually rigorous debate".

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