Explained | Why India blocked Austrian economist Gunther Fehlinger-Jahn’s X account over his “dismantle India” post

The Government of India on Friday blocked the X account (formerly Twitter) of Austrian economist Gunther Fehlinger-Jahn after he posted a message calling to “dismantle India” and circulated a distorted map promoting Khalistan. His post quickly went viral, sparking outrage among political leaders and users online.

Who is Gunther Fehlinger-Jahn

Gunther Fehlinger-Jahn is an Austrian economist who has built his profile by targeting countries he sees as opposing NATO interests. He serves as President of the Austrian Committee for Nato Membership of Ukraine, Austria, Bosnia and Kosovo. He studied at the Vienna University of Economics and Business where he completed a Master’s degree in International Trade. He is also a board member of the Action Group for Regional Economic Integration of the Southern Balkans.

Fehlinger-Jahn has a track record of openly calling for the breakup of sovereign nations such as Russia and Brazil in line with his push to strengthen Western alliances. His campaigns routinely involve provocative remarks against nations he brands as NATO’s rivals. This pattern has now extended to India.

What triggered the controversy

The row erupted after Fehlinger-Jahn posted on X calling to “dismantle India.” In his post he described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “Russia’s man” and backed Khalistan. He wrote: “I call to dismantle India into ExIndia. @narendramodi is Russia’s man. We need friends of freedom for @KhalistanNet.” (sic)

The screenshot that went viral showed a grossly distorted map of India with large swathes marked as Pakistan, Bangladesh and “Khalistan.” This inflammatory depiction was seen as an attempt to delegitimize India’s sovereignty.

Government action

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. Following the order, the American company led by Elon Musk blocked access to the account in India.

Sharp reactions in India

The post drew an immediate backlash. Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, responding to a screenshot, wrote, “What insanity is this? @MEAIndia must take this up with the Austrian Embassy.”

When asked whether the Ministry of External Affairs would raise the matter with Austria, a government source told NDTV, “Why give this so much attention? He is a loony. Holds no official position.”

Fehlinger-Jahn’s inflammatory comments also resurfaced older posts where he had extended support for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as the next Prime Minister of India. In those tweets he had dubbed PM Modi “pro-Russia and pro-China.”

This episode comes just months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister in 41 years to visit Austria. His July 2024 visit marked 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations.