NDA leaders back notice to actor Imran Khan over August Kranti Maidan protest
Synopsis
Actor Imran Khan — an American citizen holding OCI status — has been ordered to leave India for allegedly protesting illegally at August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai. NDA leaders seized on the case to argue that the law makes no exceptions, with multiple BJP MPs calling for his immediate deportation under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.
Key Takeaways
The FRRO ordered actor Imran Khan to leave India after he allegedly violated the Foreigners Act by joining August Kranti Maidan protests in Mumbai .
Imran Khan reportedly holds OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) status and is an American citizen , not an Indian citizen.
The protests demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar .
BJP leaders cited the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 , which bars foreigners from participating in protests in India.
BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj alleged more than ₹30,000 crore flows into India through FCRA to fund such demonstrations.
JDU leader Shyam Rajak said only Indian citizens have the legal right to protest on Indian soil.
Actor Imran Khan has been served an order to leave India after he allegedly participated unlawfully in the recent August Kranti Maidan protests in Mumbai, which demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) stated that the actor, who holds an Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card and is reportedly an American citizen, violated the Foreigners Act by joining the demonstrations. National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders came out strongly in support of the action on Friday, 16 October 2026, asserting that the law applies equally to all.
What NDA Leaders Said
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan said, 'If he (Imran Khan) is not an Indian citizen, if he is here on a work visa and trying to be part of illegal protests, then action will be taken against him. Everyone is equal before the law, be it CJP leaders or Bollywood actors.'
Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo questioned the actor's motivations, saying, 'Imran Khan is an American citizen, and he was staying in India with a work permit. Now he is taking part in Indian protests. Why should an American citizen participate in India's protests? Why didn't he take Indian citizenship? Why is he here just for work in films?' Deo also cited a clause of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, which bars foreigners from protesting in India, and called for Imran Khan's immediate deportation.
Separately, Deo referenced the actor's relative, noting, 'Previously, it was his relative (actor Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran Rao) who claimed that they felt unsafe in India.'
Broader Political Framing
In Chhattisgarh, BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj connected the protests to what he described as anti-national foreign funding, alleging, 'More than ₹30,000 crore enter the nation through FCRA to enforce Islam and enforce Christianity in the nation, or to run such protests in the country.' He was speaking in the context of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, recently introduced by the Centre. Maharaj added, 'There are external forces which are working to sabotage PM Modi's vision for a Viksit Bharat by 2047. These protests are not against PM Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah; these protests are against the nation.'
BJP MP Rahul Sinha echoed the call for deportation, saying, 'He (Imran Khan) should be deported; why should a foreigner who is here for work be a part of such a protest?'
Alliance Partner Weighs In
Janta Dal-United (JDU) leader Shyam Rajak said that only citizens of a country have the right to participate in its protests. 'If someone is here from outside the country, either they are here for tourism or for education. They can't be here for protests. You cannot come to a foreign nation and question their freedom; it's illegal,' he said.
Background and Legal Basis
The FRRO's order centres on Imran Khan's OCI status. OCI cardholders enjoy several rights in India but are classified as foreigners under Indian law, and the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 reportedly restricts them from participating in political protests. The August Kranti Maidan demonstrations — held at a historically significant protest ground in Mumbai — drew public figures demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The notice to Imran Khan is among the first such high-profile applications of the 2025 Act's provisions against a public figure.
How the government proceeds with the FRRO's order, and whether Imran Khan mounts a legal challenge, will set a significant precedent for the scope of OCI holders' civil liberties in India.
Point of View
2025 will be applied to OCI holders who engage in civil dissent. OCI cards were marketed as near-citizenship for the diaspora, yet the law now appears to draw a sharp line at political participation. What is absent from the NDA's framing is any acknowledgement that OCI holders are, in many senses, deeply staked in India's future; the question of their civil liberties is more complex than 'work visa, no protest.' The BJP's simultaneous invocation of FCRA inflows frames the protests as foreign-funded destabilisation — a characterisation critics will contest, and one that courts may yet scrutinise if Imran Khan files a legal challenge.
NationPress
16 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was actor Imran Khan ordered to leave India?
The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) ordered actor Imran Khan to leave India on the grounds that he allegedly participated in the August Kranti Maidan protests in Mumbai in violation of the Foreigners Act. Khan holds Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status and is reportedly an American citizen, making his participation in protests potentially unlawful under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.
What are the August Kranti Maidan protests about?
The August Kranti Maidan protests, held at a historic ground in Mumbai, demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstrations attracted several public figures and sparked political controversy over the participation of foreign nationals and OCI cardholders.
Can OCI cardholders protest in India?
Under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, foreigners — including OCI cardholders, who are classified as foreign nationals under Indian law — are reportedly barred from participating in protests in India. This is the legal basis cited by the FRRO and NDA leaders in the Imran Khan case.
What did BJP leaders say about the notice to Imran Khan?
Multiple BJP leaders backed the FRRO's order and called for Imran Khan's deportation. Spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan said 'everyone is equal before the law,' while MP Rahul Sinha questioned why a foreigner in India on a work arrangement should participate in domestic protests. MP Sakshi Maharaj linked the broader protest movement to alleged foreign funding through FCRA.
What is the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026?
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 is a recently introduced legislation that tightens rules around foreign funding received by organisations in India. BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj cited it in connection with the protests, alleging over ₹30,000 crore flows into India annually through FCRA channels. The Bill's passage and implications are still being debated.
