New Delhi: The Government of India has blocked access to the X (formerly Twitter) account of Austrian economist Gunther Fehlinger-Jahn after he posted a provocative message urging the “dismantling” of India and shared a separatist map linked to Khalistan.
The post, which quickly went viral, declared: “I call to dismantle India into ExIndia. @narendramodi is Russia’s man. We need friends of freedom for @KhalistanNet.” (sic). The inflammatory content triggered an immediate response from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), which directed X to withhold the account from Indian users. The account is now inaccessible within India.
Fehlinger-Jahn, known for his outspoken positions on European geopolitics, is the President of the Austrian Committee for NATO Membership of Ukraine, Kosovo, Bosnia, and Austria, and also serves on the board of the Action Group for Regional Economic Integration of the Southern Balkans. Despite these affiliations, Indian officials downplayed his importance. A senior source in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) dismissed the possibility of raising the issue formally with Austria, remarking: “Why give this so much attention? He is a loony. Holds no official position.”
The economist’s post ignited angry reactions across Indian social media, with many users calling it a direct attack on India’s sovereignty. Critics accused him of attempting to interfere in India’s internal affairs under the guise of activism, while others demanded stronger international accountability for promoting separatism online.
The controversy comes against the backdrop of strengthening ties between India and Austria. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Vienna in July 2024 the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 41 years marked the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The inflammatory remarks by Fehlinger-Jahn, however, highlight how fringe voices continue to use social media platforms to stoke tensions, even as official relations remain cordial.