Authorities in India have ordered American actor Imran Khan to leave the country by October 28, following his participation in a protest advocating for electoral reforms. Khan, nephew of Bollywood star Aamir Khan, holds an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, which permits him to visit and reside in the country but does not grant voting or election contesting rights.
Police stated that Khan participated in an agitation at Mumbai's August Kranti Maidan, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Foreigners' Regional Registration Office (FRRO) reportedly served Khan a notice for violating laws by protesting. However, Khan's lawyer has asserted that no law or OCI rule prohibits him from participating in protests and plans to challenge the expulsion order in the Bombay High Court.
The actor's petition against the Mumbai police notice described it as "drastic." Khan, known for films like "Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na" and "Delhi Belly," was participating in the protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a movement seeking electoral reforms and the resignation of India's top election official amid allegations of vote fraud, which the poll panel denies.
Khan, who is returning to acting after more than a decade with a Netflix film, stated at the protest, "I don't have demands. I'm here as a citizen, as a person who lives in this city. I'm here to see why freedom of movement is being restricted, why people's voices are being suppressed." He clarified that he was not representing any organization.
Following the demonstration on October 10, Khan was briefly detained along with other protesters. He later posted a picture from inside a police detention van on Instagram. Thousands of protesters had marched in various Indian cities demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar ahead of state elections, in response to the CJP's call. Earlier this week, two CJP leaders were remanded to five days in jail for allegedly trespassing at a protest site in Delhi.