A Mumbai-born law student, Viraansh Bhanushali, has recently gone viral for delivering a fiery speech on Pakistan during a debate at Britain’s prestigious Oxford University. The video of the high-profile debate on the motion, “This House Believes That India’s Policy Towards Pakistan Is a Populist Disguise for Security Policy,” has propelled him to overnight fame.
At the University of Oxford, Bhanushali firmly argued against the motion, stating that New Delhi’s policy is primarily driven by genuine national security concerns rather than cheap political populism. The Indian student countered Pakistani Oxford Union president Moosa Harraj’s arguments, in which he was claiming that India’s policies towards Pakistan were driven by electoral optics.
Oxford student slams Pakistan, fiery speech sparks buzz
Bhanushali firmly maintained that India’s reaction ranged from restraint after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack to military action after the Pahalgam terror attack. He contended that major attacks do not align with election cycles. The Oxford law student also referenced other terror attacks like Uri and Pulwama, and drawing from his personal experience, spoke on how Pakistan-sponsored attacks have affected thousands of Indians.
Bhanushali’s viral ‘No shame’ remark on Pakistan
“We have learnt it the hard way, you cannot shame a state that has no shame,” said Viraansh Bhanushali, asserting that a country that harbours terror networks cannot lecture others on morality.
The Indian student recounts 26/11 Mumbai Terror attack
During the debate that took place on November 27, Bhanushali opened his speech with a personal account of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. He recalled that among the terrorists’ targets was Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), where his aunt passed by most evenings.
“By chance or by providence, she took a different train home that night, narrowly escaping the fate of the 166 souls that did not. Another target was the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, where my best friend’s father, a major in the National Security Guard, was one of the first commandos to rappel into a burning inferno,” Bhanushali added.
‘We want to be boring neighbours’: Viraansh Bhanushali
The Mumbai-born law student also contrasted India’s actions with those of Pakistan, while asserting that Delhi does not want war. “We want to be boring neighbours. We want to trade onions and electricity… But until the state that defends itself stops using terror as an instrument of foreign policy, we will keep our powder dry. If that is populism, then I am a populist,” he said.
During the debate, he also shared a light moment with the Pakistani-born peer, stating that as his chief of staff, Harraj helped him write his speech. “I shall gladly admit that sometimes it takes an Indian to clean up the incompetence of a Pakistani,” Bhanushali said.
Who is Viraansh Bhanushali?
Viraansh Bhanushali is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Jurisprudence (LLB), English Law with Law Studies in Europe St Peter’s College, Oxford. He hails from Mumbai and is an alumnus of NES International School.
Bhanushali moved to Britain to pursue higher education. He is part of the 2026 batch at the University of Oxford, where he has participated in various extracurricular activities over the past 3 years.
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