After 'not Malala' speech, Yana Mir slams Delhi customs' 'dictatorial' behaviour

After ‘not Malala’ speech, Yana Mir slams Delhi customs’ ‘dictatorial’ behaviour

NEW DELHI: A journalist from Jammu and Kashmir, Yana Mir, who had accused immigration officers in Delhi of being rude to her, was captured on CCTV footage not cooperating when the officers asked her to have her bags scanned, according to a statement by the Delhi customs.

Mir, known for her speech in the UK parliament where she stated that she is not a ‘Malala Yousafzai’ because she is ‘free and safe’ in India, took to social media to express her frustration with the Delhi customs.

“What I said in London about India: I am free and safe in India. How I was welcomed back to India? ‘Madam scan your bag, open your bag, why you have Louis Vuitton shopping bags? Did you pay for them? Where are the bills?’ What Londoners think of me – Indian media warrior. What Delhi customs thinks of me: brand smuggler,” Mir wrote in a social media post.

The customs department, in response, stated that Mir felt ‘needlessly offended’ while the staff remained courteous. CCTV footage was also shared to show the routine baggage scanning process for international passengers.

Taking to X, the customs department said, “Ms Yana Mir didn’t cooperate at all when requested to get her bags scanned. Her luggage was ultimately picked up by airline staff and Customs officer for scanning as seen in the footage.”

“Bag scanning of international passengers is done routinely. While other passengers put their luggage inside the scanner without any fuss, Ms Yana Mir felt needlessly offended. The staff remained courteous throughout. Privileges are not above law. Footage tells the story,” the post added.

Mir denied seeking special treatment at the airport and emphasized the need for politeness and privacy during bag checks.

“I don’t want special treatment. But harassing citizens like this is dictatorial. They need to be polite and ask if anything to declare, if very suspicious even after scanning then they should be courteous, to open the bag in a closed area, not openly like this,” she replied.

In her speech at the ‘Sankalp Divas’ event in London, Mir called on the international media to refrain from dividing the people of Jammu and Kashmir and criticized Pakistan’s propaganda against India. She stated that she is proud to be free and safe in her country, India, and objected to Malala Yousafzai for defaming her progressive homeland.

“I am not a Malala Yousafzai because I am free and safe in my country, India. In my homeland, Kashmir, which is a part of India. I will never need to run and seek refuge in your country. I will never be a Malala Yousafzai, but I object to Malala for defaming my country, my progressive homeland, by calling it oppressed,” Mir said in her parliament speech.

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Mir also expressed her objection to social media and international media members who create false stories about oppression in Kashmir without ever visiting the region.

“I object to all such toolkit members from social media and international media, who have never cared to visit Kashmir, but fabricate stories of oppression from there,” she added in her parliament speech.

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