Indian authorities have blocked access to the X account of Austrian economist and activist Gunther Fehlinger-Jahn after he posted a map depicting a divided India and called for the creation of Khalistan. The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology flagged the post, directing X to withhold the account for users in India, according to local media.
In his post, Fehlinger-Jahn wrote: “I call to dismantle India into ExIndia. Narendra Modi is Russia’s man. We need friend of freedom for @KhalistanNet.” The map appeared to show not only an independent Khalistan but also other Indian regions separated, prompting widespread anger on social media.
The controversial remarks came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China. In another post, Fehlinger-Jahn declared India a “hostile state to the Free World” and urged a boycott, including denial of visas for Indians while Modi remains in power.
Fehlinger-Jahn describes himself on X and LinkedIn as chair of an “Austrian committee” advocating NATO enlargement, though searches reveal no official record of such a body. He has previously called for Armenia to join NATO and has frequently posted about the “fall of Putin” and the “breakup of Russia.”
India considers the Khalistan movement — which advocates for a Sikh homeland carved out of Indian territory — a major security threat. The post’s timing, tied to Modi’s alignment with Moscow, further heightened sensitivities in New Delhi.