Austrian economist Gunther Fehlinger's call to ‘dismantle India’ triggers backlash; old post shows he backed Rahul Gandhi for PM

Adding to the furore, an old 2023 post of his has resurfaced, where he openly voiced support for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as India’s next prime minister while accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of joining hands with Russia and China, as reported by Indiatimes.

Fehlinger’s latest remarks, posted on X, went viral after he shared a digitally altered map portraying large swathes of Indian territory as belonging to Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and a separate Khalistan.

Fanning the controversy, Fehlinger shared a map showing northern and north-western Indian states, including Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan as part of “Khalistan.” The map showed Jammu and Kashmir as part of Pakistan, drawing fiery backlash online.

“I call to dismantle India into Ex-India. Narendra Modi is a Russian man. We need a friend of freedom for Khalistan,” Fehlinger declared in his post.

The controversial map was later blocked, and his account has been withheld in India but not before triggering widespread condemnation from political leaders and citizens alike.

Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi reacted sharply: “What insanity is this? @MEAIndia must take this up with the Austrian Embassy.”

Netizens react

Netizens flooded social media with angry responses, with some calling him a “troll” and others urging the Ministry of External Affairs to summon the Austrian ambassador.

One user commented, “Modi doesn’t bow, bend or break. They want a puppet PM who will wag his tail when they whistle. That’s why Pappu looks like their dream candidate – zero spine, zero brains, 100% obedience.”

Others speculated whether his position indicated a hidden agenda in the West against a rising India.

“He is a dimwit from Austria. Call the Austrian Ambassador in India to ask for an explanation… Is this what the EU secretly wants? Maybe! Because the West doesn’t like a growing superpower and a multipolar world,” one user wrote.

"The Regime change operation is ON and we also know now who their Indian stooge is — Rahul Gandhi," wrote another account.

Who is Gunther Fehlinger?

Fehlinger, born in 1968 in Linz, Austria, is known in European policy circles for his radical push to expand both NATO and the European Union.

A graduate with a Master’s in International Business from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, he has long styled himself as a staunch defender of Western alliances.

His activism often centres on calls to break up nations viewed as rivals of NATO or the West.

In the past, he has urged the disintegration of Russia and the redrawing of Eastern Europe’s borders.

His recent comments on India align with this pattern of extreme geopolitical prescriptions.

Although Fehlinger holds no official post in any government, his comments have spread widely online, stoking worries about foreign meddling in India’s internal affairs.

The controversy has thrown the spotlight back on Fehlinger, whose comments — both past and present — have stirred heated debate about West's political biases amid India’s charged domestic politics.