Elon Musk has joined an anti-Pakistan narrative being pushed 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 controversy by saying that the blame for nurturing gangs in Britain should not be attributed to Asia as a whole, but rather to “one rogue state” – Pakistan.
The right-wing Indian lawmaker’s comments were echoed by SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who publicly declared it “true” on social media, aligning himself with Chaturvedi’s view.
Priyanka Chaturvedi herself belongs to the RSS, a far-right Hindu sovereign political party whose origins and leaders are documented to have drawn 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 to the fascist ideology of Nazi Germany and highlighted how the RSS advocated that India should be a Hindu nation, with minorities treated in a manner similar to Nazi treatment of Jews.
The debate over grooming gangs in the UK has recently intensified following remarks by Labor leader and Prime Minister Keir Starmer recalling overseeing the first prosecution of an Asian grooming gang during his tenure as head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS ) between 2008 and 2013.
Chaturvedi criticized Starmer’s narrative and questioned the tendency to link the issue of grooming gangs to entire ethnic communities.
Musk also voiced his disapproval of Starmer, who has rejected calls for a new national investigation, instead advocating for implementation of recommendations from a previous seven-year investigation into child sexual exploitation.
In the midst of this debate, Chaturvedi’s rhetoric takes on added significance, with Musk’s involvement aligning with the far-right stereotypes often perpetuated in the media.
Musk’s endorsement of the anti-Pakistan narrative comes at a time when his company, Starlink, is reportedly involved in discussions with Pakistani authorities over licensing issues related to satellite internet services.
Some people commented online that Musk’s comments might have been a tactic to put pressure on Pakistani authorities and gain influence.
Meanwhile, a 2020 UK Home Office report had previously challenged the narrative that grooming gangs are predominantly made up of men of Pakistani origin.
The report highlighted that while high-profile cases in towns such as Rotherham, Rochdale and Telford have involved gangs of mainly Pakistani ethnicity, most child sexual abuse gangs in the UK are made up of white males under the age of 30.
The paper stressed that there was no conclusive evidence that grooming gangs are disproportionately made up of Asian offenders.
This research contradicted earlier statements by far-right politicians such as former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who have 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 the crime and potentially make children less safe.
Experts have warned against the spread of “misinformation, racism and division” associated with grooming gangs.
More than 50 researchers, along with organizations such as the NSPCC and Victim Support, signed a letter urging politicians to avoid making inaccurate or damaging claims that could fuel division and damage efforts to protect children.
On the other hand, many news media, mostly based in India, have continued to peddle the false narrative that Pakistani men are the dominant factor in cases related to child abuse.
