'Starlink poses risk to security agencies': Nishikant Dubey responds to Musk's charge

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey defended SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's claim that Starlink’s entry into India poses risks to security agencies, stating that the issue concerns the defence ministry, home affairs ministry, and the country's investigation agencies. In a post on X, Dubey, who chairs a parliamentary committee, argued that India would not alter its security policy in response to criticism or social media pressure. He urged Musk to prioritize making internet services more affordable in the United States before criticizing India.

Dubey also accused the government of alerting the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) about potential threats from Starlink as early as 2013-14. He encouraged Musk to concentrate on providing affordable connections to the poor in America before making accusations against India. Dubey emphasized that India is a sovereign democracy and would not change its security policy under pressure or due to social media posts.

Responding to Musk's allegations that Starlink would increase competition and provide Indian consumers with more choices, Dubey countered that if financial considerations alone dictated the government's decisions, the company would have welcomed Starlink despite opposition from security agencies. He implied that if the government's policy were driven solely by monetary factors, they would have welcomed the service despite the objections from security agencies.