- RSS-linked Swadeshi Jagran Manch urges India to block Starlink
- Group cites national security and links the demand to US tariffs
- Musk has accused Modi’s government and Ambani of stalling Starlink
- India says claims of unfair treatment are “baseless and misconceived”
AN INFLUENTIAL Hindu nationalist group close to India’s ruling party urged the government Tuesday to block Elon Musk’s Starlink from launching satellite internet services in India, citing national security concerns.
The call came from Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), the economic wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.
It follows a public feud in which Musk accused the Modi government and billionaire Mukesh Ambani of stalling Starlink’s entry to favor Ambani’s Reliance Jio.
India rejects Elon Musk's 'oligarchs' claim over Starlink delay
“Is Ambani the real boss of India?” Musk posted on X last week.
Tariff link
SJM tied its demand to trade tensions with Washington. If the US imposes high tariffs on Indian imports “in the name of national security, then India is certainly within its rights to block Starlink based on its genuine national security concerns,” national co-convener Ashwani Mahajan said in a statement.
Mahajan said Starlink’s technology could make it harder for authorities to restrict internet services during security emergencies and to ensure Indian internet traffic passes through domestic infrastructure.
SJM has shaped Indian policy in recent years, notably pushing for rules to protect small traders from US-owned e-commerce companies Amazon and Walmart’s Flipkart.
SpaceX, Starlink’s parent company, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Four-year wait
Starlink has been waiting four years to launch in India, a market with more than a billion internet subscribers. Satellite ventures backed by Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are also awaiting final clearances.
Elon Musk Targets Mukesh Ambani Over BJP Donations
India’s communications ministry said last week that security assessments were underway for all three. It called suggestions that the approval process was unfair or discriminatory “baseless and misconceived.”
Musk has repeatedly taunted Ambani on X, questioning why Starlink still lacks a license despite what he says are years of compliance with Indian requirements.
(With inputs from Reuters)
