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A WhatsApp message from ‘Viksit Bharat Sampark’ seeking feedback and suggestions from the public, appended to a letter by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has sparked controversy in recent days. While the opposition decries it as illegal and a violation of the Model Code of Conduct, a fresh controversy has surfaced as individuals from various nationalities, including those from the UAE and Pakistan, report receiving similar messages from Viksit Bharat Sampark. This has raised questions about how the Indian government obtained contact numbers of foreign nationals and whether this was an oversight or a deliberate strategy.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor took to social media to highlight the issue, sharing screenshots of a LinkedIn post made by one Anthony J Permal ACIM. Anthony, a consultant based in the UAE, expressed concern over the privacy violation caused by the unsolicited messages sent to non-Indian nationals. He questioned how the BJP and the Indian government accessed their numbers and criticized the blatant spamming of non-Indians.
The controversy deepened as individuals from various nationalities commented on Anthony’s post, revealing that they too had received the message from Viksit Bharat Sampark. Uzair Younus, a Pakistani national based in the US, highlighted the irony of Modi’s eagerness to engage with Pakistanis through unsolicited messages. Similarly, another non-resident Indian shared an instance where his Pakistani neighbor, now a Saudi citizen, received the message.
Pakistani friends seem to be receiving @narendramodi’s Viksit Bharat Sampark WhatsApp message, both in
— Uzair Younus عُزیر یُونس (@UzairYounus) March 17, 2024and in
.
Modi Ji seems more eager to poll Pakistanis for their opinions that Pakistani ruling elites themselves!
Shashi Tharoor called attention to the misuse of government machinery and data for partisan political interests, urging the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take note of the issue. The widespread reception of the message by foreign nationals underscores the need for transparency and accountability in government communication, especially in the digital age where privacy concerns are paramount. As the controversy unfolds, it prompts a critical examination of the boundaries between political outreach and privacy rights, both domestically and internationally.
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