It started as a complaint about a satellite licence. In about two days, it has turned into a row involving Elon Musk, Mukesh Ambani, Rahul Gandhi and the BJP, with national security thrown in. The question many are now asking is whether Gandhi stepped into a trap or simply stuck to a position he has held for years.

How the row began

On Wednesday, Musk posted on X that Starlink was being blocked by certain “oligarchs” who want to keep a monopolistic hold on Indian consumers. India’s Communications Ministry rejected the claim, saying its authorisation framework is fair and non-discriminatory.

A day later, on Thursday, Musk went further and named a name. He asked on X whether Mukesh Ambani is the “real boss of India”. He also claimed that Starlink had spent five years complying with every Indian law and requirement and still could not launch.

What Rahul Gandhi said

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi replied to Musk on X: “Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy.” The “other guy” was widely read as a reference to another Indian industrialist. Musk responded within an hour, thanking Gandhi and calling the situation “indeed troubling”.

Gandhi has long accused the government of working in the interest of select big businessmen, and his reply fits that line.

The BJP’s response

The ruling party moved quickly. BJP leader Ram Madhav said Gandhi used to accuse the government of surrendering Indian interests to the US, and was now championing Musk’s cause. He called Gandhi “surrender Gandhi” and said Musk should remember he was dealing with a strong sovereign republic. He also asked what had changed overnight between the two men.

The two lines of attack

India Today’s analysis argues that Gandhi gave the BJP “twin weapons”. Based on the facts above, here is how the two arguments appear to play out. The BJP’s argument is that Gandhi is siding with a foreign billionaire against his own country on a matter that touches national security and sovereignty, which contradicts his past criticism of the government over US ties. It also says the Opposition is cheering on a foreign company’s public attack on India’s regulatory process.

The Opposition’s likely answer is that Gandhi was not defending Musk, but pointing at a familiar target: a close relationship between the government and a handful of industrialists. Musk’s own claims about “oligarchs” are, in this reading, a useful illustration of the point he has been making for years.

What the facts add

Both sides have a complication to deal with. The government says all three licensed companies, including Ambani-linked Jio Satellite Communications, are at the same regulatory stage, and that security assessments are under way. Musk, for his part, was not always at odds with Ambani. In March 2025, Jio signed a deal with SpaceX to sell Starlink in India, subject to Starlink receiving its own authorisations. The two sides had earlier clashed over whether satellite spectrum should be auctioned or assigned.

So the picture is more tangled than a simple fight between Musk and an oligarch. We have not independently verified Musk’s claims, and no report we reviewed shows evidence that any specific person is blocking Starlink.

Why the national security angle matters

India’s security conditions for satellite services are part of the formal licensing process, and the ministry says each licensee must show compliance. That is why a foreign company’s public criticism of that process can easily be framed as a security question. Whether it really is one, or whether the BJP is using the label for political advantage, is exactly where the two sides disagree.

Expect the war of words to continue. The facts that matter are still the same: when the security assessments finish, when spectrum is assigned, and when Starlink is allowed to start selling. None of those has a confirmed date.

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