Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has once again criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this time over the recent agreements between Indian telecom giants and Elon Musk’s SpaceX. SpaceX has partnered with Airtel to introduce its Starlink satellite internet services in India. Just a day later, Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Platforms also signed a deal with SpaceX. While Airtel’s Sunil Mittal welcomed the partnership, the Congress party has alleged that these agreements were orchestrated by the prime minister to strengthen ties with US President Donald Trump through Musk.

In a post on X, Ramesh questioned how both Airtel and Jio, which had previously raised concerns about Starlink’s entry into India, signed agreements with SpaceX within just 12 hours of each other. He pointed out that their past objections seem to have vanished overnight, raising doubts about the transparency of the deal.

National Security Concerns: Ramesh also raised serious concerns about national security, questioning who would have control over Starlink’s connectivity in India. He asked whether the power to switch services on or off in times of crisis would rest with Starlink or its Indian partners. Additionally, he inquired whether other satellite-based internet providers would be allowed to operate and under what conditions. Beyond the Starlink deal, he also sought clarity on Tesla’s manufacturing plans in India, suggesting that facilitating Starlink’s entry could be part of a larger commitment to Musk’s companies.

A Surprising Turn of Events: The partnership between Jio and SpaceX came as a surprise, considering the ongoing rivalry between Mukesh Ambani and Elon Musk over satellite internet airwave allocation. Until recently, both Jio and Airtel had been pushing for a spectrum auction, arguing that an administrative allocation would allow Musk to gain access to airwaves at a much lower cost than what telecom companies had paid in previous auctions. With questions looming over the implications of these deals, the Congress party is demanding greater transparency and accountability from the government.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from PTI.