Yes, I am Obsessed: Raghav Chadha on voicing national interest in Parliament

The post on X relates to an episode that unfolded during question hour on Thursday when Chadha started talking about an issue featuring US tycoon Elon Musk and his satellite internet company Starlink.

As the MP from Punjab began speaking to put things in context and recounted actions of Musk in Ukraine, the Chairman, amid banter, nudged him over his so-called obsession with issues related to “what someone else is doing”.

The Chairman also asked him to focus on something which is more “Indianised”.

To this suggestion. Chadha retorted, “Sir, I am obsessed with anything that hurts the Indian interest and particularly the Indian economic interest. And that is what brings me to the House, and I will continue to passionately raise every issue that hurts my country”

“Sir, you would have understood that my question is only and only about India,” Chadha argued before highlighting the alleged non-cooperation by Starlink, which provides satellite-based services, with Indian security agencies.

He pointed to an alleged misuse of Starlink navigation satellite by a Myanmar-based drug syndicate whose operations were revealed in a bust in Andamans and Nicobar Islands, adding that Starlink refused to share details on the equipment on the grounds of privacy.

“Given the fact that Starlink refused to share critical data with Indian authorities, citing data privacy laws, how does the Government of India plan to deal with such resistance from Elon Musk’s Starlink on data sharing and the potential misuse of Starlink?” he asked.

As part of his supplementary question, Chadha also touched upon the issue of reciprocal tariffs imposed on India by the US and said, “We offered unflinching loyalty, but in return, the Trump Administration has imposed the Trump Tariff that could wreck the Indian economy.”

To safeguard Indian interests, he suggested, “Shouldn’t the Indian government withhold the necessary approvals for Elon Musk’s Starlink to use it as a bargaining chip in order to re-negotiate the Trump Tariffs?”