US billionaire and SpaceX boss Elon Musk has responded to media reports in India which said the Indian Army and other security forces had seized Starlink satellite internet service equipment from militant groups in the country’s north-eastern region.
According to reports, police and security personnel had carried out a joint operation against militants in the hill and valley regions of Churachandpur, Chandel, Imphal East, and Kangpokpi districts.
During the operation, security forces recovered 29 weapons, including snipers, automatic rifles, pistols, grenades, country-made mortars, and other war-related items. This raised concerns over whether militants were using such equipment and posing a grave threat to India’s national security.
Responding to these reports and concerns, Musk, who owns the company that offers Starlink services, said, “This is false.” This is false. Starlink satellite beams are turned off over India,” the SpaceX boss wrote on X. He cited the unavailability of satellite beams over India.
He was responding to a post by an X user who had asked Musk to step in to thwart the alleged abuse of Starlink services by terrorists. It must be noted that Starlink services are currently unavailable in India due to a lack of government approval.
Earlier, social media users attacked SpaceX and Musk for accused misuse of Starlink by rogue elements. Starlink is also at fault. Their service is location-based, and they must ensure that locations where they do not have a license remain inaccessible,” wrote one user on X.
“People who trust the US don’t know what to term them. How can we strengthen our relationship with a nation that has repeatedly backstabbed us?” wrote the second.
