Elon Musk has backed an anti-Pakistan narrative floated by an Indian lawmaker linked to the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a party documented to have sought inspiration from Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party.
RSS lawmaker Priyanka Chaturvedi sparked the row by stating that the blame for grooming gangs in the UK should not be placed on Asia as a whole, but rather on “one rogue nation” – Pakistan.
The Indian right-wing nationalist lawmaker’s comments were echoed by SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who publicly stated it as “true” on social media, aligning himself with Chaturvedi’s view.
Priyanka Chaturvedi herself belongs to the RSS, a far-right pro-Hindu political party whose origins and leaders have been documented to have sought inspiration from Adolf Hitler’s Nazi ideology.
A controversial book written by RSS leader MS Golwalkar We or Our Nationhood Defined had inextricably linked the RSS with the fascist ideology of Nazi Germany and highlighted how the RSS argued that India is a Hindu-only nation, with minorities to be treated in a manner similar to the treatment of the Jews by the Nazis.
Debate about 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 a grooming gang from Asia during his time as head of the Crown Prosecution Service ( CPS) between 2008 and 2013.
Chaturvedi criticized Starmer’s narrative, questioning the tendency to link the issue of grooming gangs to entire ethnic communities.
Musk also expressed dismay at Starmer, who has rejected calls for a new national inquiry, instead advocating for the implementation of recommendations from a previous 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 perpetuated in the media.
Musk’s support of the anti-Pakistan narrative comes as his company, Starlink, is reportedly engaged in discussions with Pakistani authorities over licensing issues related to satellite Internet services.
Some people were commenting online that perhaps Musk’s comments were a tactic to put pressure on Pakistani authorities and gain leverage.
Meanwhile, a 2020 UK Home Office report had earlier challenged the narrative that grooming gangs are mainly made up of men of Pakistani origin.
The report highlighted that while high-profile cases in towns such as Rotherham, Rochdale and Telford involved predominantly ethnic Pakistani gangs, most child sex abuse gangs in the UK are made up of white men under the age of 30.
The paper stressed that there is no conclusive evidence that grooming gangs are disproportionately made up of Asian offenders.
This research contradicts previous statements by far-right politicians such as former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who has repeatedly portrayed grooming gangs as a problem rooted in British-Pakistani communities with different “cultural values”.
Braverman’s comments were criticized by child protection experts who argue that such divisive and racially charged narratives undermine efforts to tackle crime and potentially make children less safe.
Experts have warned against the spread of “misinformation, racism and division” within grooming gangs.
More than 50 researchers, along with organizations such as the NSPCC and Victim Support, signed a letter calling on politicians to avoid making inaccurate or harmful claims that could fuel division and damage efforts to protect children.
On the other hand, many news media, mainly in India, have continued to peddle the false narrative that Pakistani men are the dominant actor in cases related to child abuse.
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