October 23, 2026
Hindu nationalist group to protest Elon Musk’s Starlink in Delhi
An organization affiliated with India’s Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) movement will hold a protest march in New Delhi on Friday against SpaceX founder Elon Musk’s Starlink, citing national security and digital sovereignty concerns.
The Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) said the march would begin at 11 a.m. (0530 GMT) in the capital’s Chanakyapuri area.
It has urged the government to block Starlink’s commercial satellite broadband launch, arguing that its network could complicate internet shutdowns and lawful interception during security emergencies.
The campaign follows Musk’s criticism of regulatory delays facing Starlink in India and his accusation that Reliance Industries, led by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, is using its market power to block foreign competitors.
In a tweet addressing Ambani as the Prime Minister of India and the “real boss of India,” Musk accused the tycoon of “monopolistic exploitation” of Indians and keeping Starlink out of the market.
Reliance has rejected the allegations.
“It is unfortunate that instead of responding to the information requested from his company on national security grounds, Elon Musk chose to indirectly accuse Indian businesses and the government,” the SJM said in a statement on its website.
The SJM highlighted Starlink in Ukraine as a case study for national security. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the trillionaire ordered the slowdown of a military-grade version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite service that Kyiv relies on.
Separately, in a sign of Musk’s plummeting popularity in India, recently, controversial Dussehra posters displayed in the northern Lucknow city depicted Musk and other international figures, including US Senator Ilhan Omar, as the ten faces of Ravana, portraying them as opponents of India’s interests.
During the Hindu Dussehra festival effigies of Ravana are traditionally burned symbolizing the victory of good over evil.
Source: www.dw.com
