Elon Musk has endorsed an anti-Pakistan speech peddled by an Indian lawmaker linked to the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a party that reportedly sought inspiration from Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party.
RSS MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has sparked controversy by saying the blame for grooming gangs in the UK should not be placed on Asia as a whole, but rather on “a single rogue nation”: Pakistan .
The right-wing Indian nationalist lawmaker’s comments were echoed by SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who publicly declared them as “true” on social media, aligning with Chaturvedi’s views.
Priyanka Chaturvedi herself belongs to the RSS, a far-right Hindu supremacist political party whose origins and leadership have been documented as drawing inspiration from the Nazi ideology of Adolf Hitler.
A controversial book written by RSS leader MS Golwalkar We or Our Nationhood Defined had inextricably linked the RSS to the fascist ideology of Nazi Germany and highlighted how the RSS advocated India being a Hindu-only nation, with minorities treated the same way. the treatment of Jews by the Nazis.
The debate over grooming gangs in the UK has recently intensified following remarks by Labor leader and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in which he recalled overseeing the first prosecution of an Asian grooming gang during his time as leader of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) between 2008 and 2013.
Chaturvedi criticized Starmer’s account, questioning the tendency to link the issue of grooming gangs to entire ethnic communities.
Musk also expressed his disapproval of Starmer, who rejected calls for a new national inquiry, instead advocating implementing recommendations from an earlier seven-year inquiry into child sexual exploitation .
Amid this debate, Chaturvedi’s rhetoric takes on added significance, with Musk’s involvement aligning with far-right stereotypes often perpetrated in the media.
Musk’s support for anti-Pakistan rhetoric comes at a time when his company, Starlink, is reportedly engaged in discussions with Pakistani authorities over licensing issues related to satellite internet services.
Some people commented online that Musk’s comments may have been a tactic to put pressure on Pakistani authorities and gain leverage.
At the same time, a 2020 UK Home Office report previously challenged the narrative that grooming gangs are predominantly made up of men of Pakistani origin.
The report highlights that although high-profile cases in towns like Rotherham, Rochdale and Telford have involved gangs of predominantly Pakistani origin, most child sex abuse gangs in the UK are made up of white men under 30 years old.
The paper points out that there is no conclusive evidence that grooming gangs are disproportionately made up of Asian offenders.
This research contradicts previous statements from far-right politicians, such as former British Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who has repeatedly described grooming gangs as a problem rooted in British-Pakistani communities with ” different cultural values.
Braverman’s comments were criticized by child welfare experts who say such divisive and racially charged narratives undermine efforts to combat crime and could make children less safe.
Experts have warned of the spread of “misinformation, racism and division” in the context of grooming gangs.
More than 50 researchers, along with organizations including the NSPCC and Victim Support, have signed a letter urging politicians to avoid making inaccurate or damaging claims that could fuel division and harm child protection efforts.
On the other hand, many media outlets, mainly based in India, continued to peddle the false narrative that Pakistani men were the dominant factor in cases related to child abuse.
