Indian student rips Pakistani propaganda at the Oxford Union Debate: OpIndia speaks to law student Viraansh Bhanushali, who exposed Pakistan at the global forum

On 27th November, an Indian student tore apart the Pakistani propaganda with hard-hitting facts during an Oxford Union Debate. Some clips of that debate have now hit the internet. The Indian student, Viraansh Bhanushali, is originally from Mumbai and is studying law at Oxford University. He was part of the team representing the Indian side in the debate, which was organised a day after 26th November, the anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. ऑक्सफोर्ड यूनिवर्सिटी में भारतीय छात्र विरांश भानुशाली ने बेनकाब किया कांग्रेस का असली चेहराकहा- 26/11 मुंबई आतंकी हमलों के बाद जब देश चाहता था बदला तब कांग्रेस सरकार पाकिस्तान को भेज रही थी Dossiers pic.twitter.com/wAwuQJEeGX— OpIndia.tv (@OpIndia_tv) December 24, 2025 Bhanushali, a survivor of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, lambasted Pakistan, saying, “You cannot shame a state that has no shame.” OpIndia spoke to Viraansh Bhanushali, who shared his experience of the debate and his views on several other things, including the India-Pakistan conflict and India’s global image. I consider myself an ambassador of the country: Viraansh Bhanushali OpIndia journalist Ritika J Chandola asked Bhanushali to share his experience of the debate and his speaking as an Indian against Pakistan in a foreign land. Responding to the question, Bhanushali said that he considered himself an “ambassador of the country” and that he felt proud for speaking for India. Notably, Bhanushali is friends with Oxford Union president Moosa Harraj, who is the son of Pakistan’s federal defence production minister, Muhammad Raza Hayat Harraj. Musa Harraj led the Pakistani side in the debate. When asked about the post-debate scenarios, Bhanushali, who is the Chief of Staff at the Oxford Union, replied, “I think the way Musa and my relationship has worked is that we’re both heavily aware of the fact that I am an Indian and he is a Pakistani. We both have an important role in the institution that can create headlines back home, as it has. So we cooperate where we have to, but we draw our lines and say this is what we’re proud about, this is what we will not compromise on, and we have our opinions and perspectives. I belong to a free speech society. I have an obligation to promote free speech.” Did not expect my speech would go viral: Bhanushali Speaking about the clips from the debate going viral and him receiving huge affection at home (India), Bhanushali said that he did not expect the reaction. He said that he expected quite the opposite since the debate was covered by Pakistani media channels like Geo News and ARY, which were present in the chamber. Bhanushali had to leave the debate after his turn due to an election the next day, which he was contesting. He said that the Pakistani media misrepresented that as a ‘walkout’ from the Indian side. “I think we had representatives from Geo News and ARY, and they actually live broadcast it, or telecast it the next day, with these rampant headlines, a walkout, which didn’t happen, for the record, from the Indian side,” Bhanushali said. “But what I think a lot of people don’t see is that for the month before our videos came out, all the coverage was from the Pakistani side. We had very little coverage from the Indian side. I did have confidence in my speech. I think I’ll come to why exactly later as well. But I knew that what I had to say, people would listen to. I had no idea in my wildest expectations that it would go this viral,” he added. We don’t send our best representations to the world: Bhanushali Bhanushali pointed out that while Pakistan has been able to make its representation at glocal forums, the Indian side has not been appropriately represented internationally. He asserted that India needs to work on effective communication and presenting its narrative to the world. “What I noticed, and what I think is something we should really change from our communications perspective, is that I completely understand we don’t want to be hyphenated with Pakistan. Our competitors are China; our competitors in some ways are the US and the developed world. But when we don’t send our best representations, when there are forums that the other side can use, you get into a situation where only one narrative works,” Bhanushali pointed out. “So, since Operation Sindoor happened, I don’t think, from an international perspective, with the other side present in the room, there has actually been any Indian representation,” he added. Pakistan uses conflict with India as an excuse: Bhanushali When the OpIndia journalist asked Bhanushali if he believed that India’s competition is not with Pakistan anyway, he agreed. Exposing Pakistan, Bhanushali said that remaining in a constant state of conflict with India is in Pakistan’s interest, as this is how the Pakistani establishment justifies poverty and inflation in the country. “…it’s in Pakistan’s interest to remain in conflict with India, because India can survive without Pak

Dec 25, 2025 1

Indian student rips Pakistani propaganda at the Oxford Union Debate: OpIndia speaks to law student Viraansh Bhanushali, who exposed Pakistan at the global forum
Viraansh Bhanushali presented some hard hitting facts on Pakistan in the Oxford Union Debate.

On 27th November, an Indian student tore apart the Pakistani propaganda with hard-hitting facts during an Oxford Union Debate. Some clips of that debate have now hit the internet. The Indian student, Viraansh Bhanushali, is originally from Mumbai and is studying law at Oxford University. He was part of the team representing the Indian side in the debate, which was organised a day after 26th November, the anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

Bhanushali, a survivor of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, lambasted Pakistan, saying, “You cannot shame a state that has no shame.” OpIndia spoke to Viraansh Bhanushali, who shared his experience of the debate and his views on several other things, including the India-Pakistan conflict and India’s global image.

I consider myself an ambassador of the country: Viraansh Bhanushali

OpIndia journalist Ritika J Chandola asked Bhanushali to share his experience of the debate and his speaking as an Indian against Pakistan in a foreign land. Responding to the question, Bhanushali said that he considered himself an “ambassador of the country” and that he felt proud for speaking for India.

Notably, Bhanushali is friends with Oxford Union president Moosa Harraj, who is the son of Pakistan’s federal defence production minister, Muhammad Raza Hayat Harraj. Musa Harraj led the Pakistani side in the debate. When asked about the post-debate scenarios, Bhanushali, who is the Chief of Staff at the Oxford Union, replied, “I think the way Musa and my relationship has worked is that we’re both heavily aware of the fact that I am an Indian and he is a Pakistani. We both have an important role in the institution that can create headlines back home, as it has. So we cooperate where we have to, but we draw our lines and say this is what we’re proud about, this is what we will not compromise on, and we have our opinions and perspectives. I belong to a free speech society. I have an obligation to promote free speech.”

Did not expect my speech would go viral: Bhanushali

Speaking about the clips from the debate going viral and him receiving huge affection at home (India), Bhanushali said that he did not expect the reaction. He said that he expected quite the opposite since the debate was covered by Pakistani media channels like Geo News and ARY, which were present in the chamber. Bhanushali had to leave the debate after his turn due to an election the next day, which he was contesting. He said that the Pakistani media misrepresented that as a ‘walkout’ from the Indian side.

“I think we had representatives from Geo News and ARY, and they actually live broadcast it, or telecast it the next day, with these rampant headlines, a walkout, which didn’t happen, for the record, from the Indian side,” Bhanushali said. “But what I think a lot of people don’t see is that for the month before our videos came out, all the coverage was from the Pakistani side. We had very little coverage from the Indian side. I did have confidence in my speech. I think I’ll come to why exactly later as well. But I knew that what I had to say, people would listen to. I had no idea in my wildest expectations that it would go this viral,” he added.

We don’t send our best representations to the world: Bhanushali

Bhanushali pointed out that while Pakistan has been able to make its representation at glocal forums, the Indian side has not been appropriately represented internationally. He asserted that India needs to work on effective communication and presenting its narrative to the world. “What I noticed, and what I think is something we should really change from our communications perspective, is that I completely understand we don’t want to be hyphenated with Pakistan. Our competitors are China; our competitors in some ways are the US and the developed world. But when we don’t send our best representations, when there are forums that the other side can use, you get into a situation where only one narrative works,” Bhanushali pointed out. “So, since Operation Sindoor happened, I don’t think, from an international perspective, with the other side present in the room, there has actually been any Indian representation,” he added.

Pakistan uses conflict with India as an excuse: Bhanushali

When the OpIndia journalist asked Bhanushali if he believed that India’s competition is not with Pakistan anyway, he agreed. Exposing Pakistan, Bhanushali said that remaining in a constant state of conflict with India is in Pakistan’s interest, as this is how the Pakistani establishment justifies poverty and inflation in the country. “…it’s in Pakistan’s interest to remain in conflict with India, because India can survive without Pakistan, but the current Pakistani establishment, I don’t think, can survive without India. Well, at least the threat of the Indian boogeyman. That’s what I argue as well, that if you want to see populism, it exists on the other side, because they need the Indian threat. That’s how they justify the price of flour. That’s how they justify their mass poverty and their mass killings,” Bhanushali explained.

When asked about his memory of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, which he mentioned during the debate, Bhanushali said that he still remembered the panic around him. Bhanushali, who was 4 years old at the time of the attack, said that he felt grateful for being part of a privileged generation that had not witnessed a big terrorist attack. “…I was four years old. But the stories, and I still remember, you know, these are like flashbulb memories, they stick around, that I think taught us so much about how we deal with these issues of cross-border terrorism,” he recalled, adding that terrorism affects society at large, irrespective of class and status.

The world should learn religious acceptance from India: Bhanushali

The OpIndia journalist asked Bhanushali’s views on Islamic radicalisation in India and globally, and the rising sentiment against multiculturalism in the West, particularly the UK. Bhanusali condemned religious radicalisation and said that it is used by individuals for private benefits. Quoting senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, Bhanushali said that the world can learn not just tolerance but acceptance from India. “It is something that only benefits private individuals who want to exercise it. I think, all said and done, people use, be it Islam, be it any other religion, they use religion as a means for coercion, for power exercise. It is absolutely horrendous that it happens. It should not. Religion, I think, is a matter that should be for the promotion of society and cohesion. I think it is a very famous Shashi Tharoor line that India not only taught the world tolerance, but acceptance. And that is the perspective I take as well. Be accepting. Do not use religion as a force to convert what is good into bad,” Bhanushali replied.

Certain communities use religion as an exploitative factor: Bhanushali

Responding to a question about how people see Islamophobia in the UK, Bhanushali said that it was a “multifaceted conception” and highlighted how certain communities have used religion as a “social exploitative factor”. “I think this is a very multifaceted conception, especially when it comes to the UK. You have seen the rise of the grooming gangs that all tend to belong to certain communities. Not nationalities, perhaps, not ethnicities, but communities that have locked themselves down and used religion not as a social cohesive factor, but as a social exploitative factor, that I condemn, obviously,” Bhanushali said.

He supported the idea of multiculturalism but criticised its exploitation by individuals for personal benefits. “Especially when it comes to this idea of multiculturalism. Multiculturalism is good. The reason I can be a practising Hindu in the UK without being put on a pike is because it is a multicultural country, because it has had a Hindu prime minister, for example. But if individuals exploit that multiculturalism for their own benefit, I am very much against that,” Bhanushali stated.

Multiculturalism should be accompanied by assimilation: Bhanushali

Speaking about the challenges to multiculturalism in the UK, particularly with respect to Islam, Bhanushali said that Islam has been used as a “propagative factor” in the UK. He emphasised that assimilation is important for multiculturalism to be sustained. “I would not necessarily, and this is a theme that I have been repeating from the very beginning, which is that there are actors who use Islam as a propagative factor. There are actors that use climate change as a propagative factor to coerce political change. The idea is coercion, taking a concept like multiculturalism, which is meant to be a good thing. India is a very multicultural society. We have been one since our inception. In fact, even before our inception,” he said. “We do not complain about multiculturalism from a perspective of when it helps us come together as a people, as an identity. But if people do not assimilate, if people do not come into an identity that becomes an issue,” he added.

Killings of Hindus in Bangladesh are horrible and condemnable: Bhanushali

The OpIndia journalist asked Bhanushali’s opinion on the atrocities being committed on Hindus in Bangladesh and the recent lynching of a Hindu man in the country. Bhanushali condemned the persecution of Hindus community in Bangladesh and said,”​I have seen some pretty horrific graphic videos of what is being done to the Hindu population in Bangladesh. The lynchings. I believe somebody was burnt alive. I believe there were videos of somebody being returned to the mob, to the mobsters who would have killed them. I think that is condemnable. That is horrible.” Bhanushali said that for the Hindu minorities to be safe in Bangladesh, democracy needed to return to the country, so that there is accountability for such acts. He called for action against the people who committed atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh.

I love Modiji but I have my own criticisms of him: Bhanushali

Talking about his opinion of PM Modi, Viraansh Bhanushali said that he loved him but also had differences with him. However, he asserted that his criticism of the Indian government is a domestic matter and that at the global level, he carries the responsibility to put the country first. “I have my own criticisms of Modi ji. I love him in a lot of ways. I have my own criticisms. But I keep that to this country, because that is our matter. We are a democracy. We can voice our criticisms here. When you are outside, you have a responsibility to put the entity of the country first. Even if you look at my speech, the rebuttals do not come from somebody saying Modi X, Y, Z. They come from somebody saying India X, Y, Z,” Bhanushali said.

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