No paid crowd: PM's Melbourne event organisers seek Rahul Gandhi, Kharge apology
'Melbourne Meets Modi' event organisers rejected Congress leaders' claims that attendees were a 'paid crowd', asserting that the nearly 30,000 participants attended voluntarily at their own or community-supported expense.
Organisers of the 'Melbourne Meets Modi', Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent community reception in Australia, have written an open letter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, demanding a public retraction and apology over allegations that attendees at the event were a "paid crowd".
The letter, issued by community organisers involved in coordinating the "Modi Airways" charter flight from Sydney to Melbourne for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's July 9 event at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium, rejected claims that participants were funded by the BJP or the government.
Following the recent event, which was attended by around 30,000 people, Congress leaders, including Pawan Khera, alleged that the display of popularity was "manufactured". He also shared a foreign media report claiming that people who attended the event had been paid to be there, and the travel was arranged or chartered flights.
Calling the allegations "entirely false" and "deeply disrespectful", the organisers said those who travelled to Melbourne did so voluntarily and financed their journeys either through personal contributions or community-supported arrangements.
Speaking to India Today TV, one of the organisers, Amit Karanth, stressed the same, saying the Congress leader's remarks were deeply disappointing.
"They also paid for their own accommodation and other expenses. So describing the event as a 'paid crowd' is simply incorrect and deeply disappointing. Not a single penny was spent to bring people from different states to Melbourne. They travelled on their own and attended voluntarily," he said.
"Whether people travelled from Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, or elsewhere in Australia, their journeys were not funded by the BJP, the Government of India, or the Government of Australia," the letter said. "The travel arrangements were organised within Australia by community volunteers, and participants either paid their own expenses or travelled through community-supported arrangements."
The organisers added the comments made by Congress office-bearers and individuals associated with the party unfairly questioned the integrity of thousands of Indian-Australians who attended the event.
"The passengers represented the diversity of the Indian-Australian community -- Australian citizens, permanent residents, professionals, business owners, students, families, senior citizens and volunteers," the letter further stated. "To dismiss them as a rented or manufactured political crowd is not merely criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is a direct insult to the intelligence, independence and dignity of thousands of Indian-Australians."
The community leaders stressed that the Indian diaspora in Australia was politically diverse and not aligned with any single political party.
"Indian-Australians are politically diverse. Some support Congress, some support the BJP, some support other political parties, and many have no political affiliation whatsoever. Their political independence deserves respect, not suspicion," the letter said.
The organisers also highlighted the voluntary efforts behind arranging the charter flight, saying the initiative required months of planning, negotiations, passenger coordination and administrative work.
"Many organisers sacrificed valuable time with their families, stepped away from their businesses and professional commitments, accepted personal financial risk, and worked tirelessly to ensure the initiative's success," they said.
The letter outlined three demands to the Congress leadership: publicly acknowledge that there is no evidence the charter flight was financed by the BJP or the Government of India, withdraw allegations that passengers constituted a paid or manufactured crowd, and apologise to the organisers, volunteers, passengers and the wider Indian-Australian community.
The organisers argued that while Congress was entitled to criticise Modi and the BJP, it should not dismiss the choices of diaspora members who chose to attend the event.
"The Indian diaspora should never become collateral damage in India's domestic political debates," the letter said.
The 'Melbourne Meets Modi' event on July 9 drew tens of thousands of attendees and featured addresses by Prime Minister Modi, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan. Organisers described it as a celebration of the growing Australia-India partnership and the contribution of the Indian community to Australian society.
Organisers of the 'Melbourne Meets Modi', Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent community reception in Australia, have written an open letter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, demanding a public retraction and apology over allegations that attendees at the event were a "paid crowd".
The letter, issued by community organisers involved in coordinating the "Modi Airways" charter flight from Sydney to Melbourne for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's July 9 event at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium, rejected claims that participants were funded by the BJP or the government.
Following the recent event, which was attended by around 30,000 people, Congress leaders, including Pawan Khera, alleged that the display of popularity was "manufactured". He also shared a foreign media report claiming that people who attended the event had been paid to be there, and the travel was arranged or chartered flights.
Calling the allegations "entirely false" and "deeply disrespectful", the organisers said those who travelled to Melbourne did so voluntarily and financed their journeys either through personal contributions or community-supported arrangements.
Speaking to India Today TV, one of the organisers, Amit Karanth, stressed the same, saying the Congress leader's remarks were deeply disappointing.
"They also paid for their own accommodation and other expenses. So describing the event as a 'paid crowd' is simply incorrect and deeply disappointing. Not a single penny was spent to bring people from different states to Melbourne. They travelled on their own and attended voluntarily," he said.
"Whether people travelled from Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, or elsewhere in Australia, their journeys were not funded by the BJP, the Government of India, or the Government of Australia," the letter said. "The travel arrangements were organised within Australia by community volunteers, and participants either paid their own expenses or travelled through community-supported arrangements."
The organisers added the comments made by Congress office-bearers and individuals associated with the party unfairly questioned the integrity of thousands of Indian-Australians who attended the event.
"The passengers represented the diversity of the Indian-Australian community -- Australian citizens, permanent residents, professionals, business owners, students, families, senior citizens and volunteers," the letter further stated. "To dismiss them as a rented or manufactured political crowd is not merely criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is a direct insult to the intelligence, independence and dignity of thousands of Indian-Australians."
The community leaders stressed that the Indian diaspora in Australia was politically diverse and not aligned with any single political party.
"Indian-Australians are politically diverse. Some support Congress, some support the BJP, some support other political parties, and many have no political affiliation whatsoever. Their political independence deserves respect, not suspicion," the letter said.
The organisers also highlighted the voluntary efforts behind arranging the charter flight, saying the initiative required months of planning, negotiations, passenger coordination and administrative work.
"Many organisers sacrificed valuable time with their families, stepped away from their businesses and professional commitments, accepted personal financial risk, and worked tirelessly to ensure the initiative's success," they said.
The letter outlined three demands to the Congress leadership: publicly acknowledge that there is no evidence the charter flight was financed by the BJP or the Government of India, withdraw allegations that passengers constituted a paid or manufactured crowd, and apologise to the organisers, volunteers, passengers and the wider Indian-Australian community.
The organisers argued that while Congress was entitled to criticise Modi and the BJP, it should not dismiss the choices of diaspora members who chose to attend the event.
"The Indian diaspora should never become collateral damage in India's domestic political debates," the letter said.
The 'Melbourne Meets Modi' event on July 9 drew tens of thousands of attendees and featured addresses by Prime Minister Modi, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan. Organisers described it as a celebration of the growing Australia-India partnership and the contribution of the Indian community to Australian society.
