 "The row began after Fehlinger-Jahn posted a message on X calling to \"dismantle India.\" Image: X")
The Government of India on Friday blocked the X account (formerly Twitter) of Austrian economist Gunther Fehlinger-Jahn.
The move comes after a controversial post by Fehlinger-Jahn in which he called to “dismantle India” and shared a map of Khalistan.
A screenshot of his post quickly spread online, receiving sharp criticism from political leaders and sparking outrage among users.
The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology took note of the viral post and asked X to restrict the account for users in India.
So, who is Gunther Fehlinger-Jahn and what is the controversy about?
Who is Gunther Fehlinger-Jahn?
1. He is an Austrian economist and serves as President of the Austrian Committee for Nato Membership of Ukraine, Austria, Bosnia and Kosovo.
2. He studied at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, where he completed a Master’s degree in International Trade.
3. He is also a board member of the Action Group for Regional Economic Integration of the Southern Balkans.
4. In the past, he has openly called for the breakup of countries such as Russia and Brazil, in line with his push to strengthen Western alliances.
5. His campaigns often include provocative remarks about nations he views as Nato’s rivals.
What is the entire controversy?
The row began after Fehlinger-Jahn posted a message on X calling to “dismantle India.”
He described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “Russia’s man” and backed Khalistan.
In his post, he wrote: “I call to dismantle India into ExIndia. @narendramodi is Russia’s man. We need friends of freedom for @KhalistanNet.” (sic)
Impact Shorts
More ShortsA screenshot of the post, which quickly spread online, showed a distorted map of India where large parts of the country were marked as Pakistan, Bangladesh, and “Khalistan.”
The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology raised the issue with X and asked the platform to block the account for Indian users.
Following the order, the American company led by Elon Musk restricted the account in India.
The post drew sharp reactions from political leaders as well as users online.
Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, responding to a screenshot of the post, wrote, “What insanity is this? @MEAIndia must take this up with the Austrian Embassy."
When asked if the Ministry of External Affairs would take it up with Austria, a government source told NDTV, “Why give this so much attention? He is a loony. Holds no official position,"
Notably, in July 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister in 41 years to visit Austria. The visit marked 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations.