‘Melbourne Meets Modi’ Organisers Reject ‘Paid Crowd’ Allegations, Seek Public Apology from Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge

Melbourne, July 2026 : Organisers of the landmark ‘Melbourne Meets Modi’ event have issued a strongly-worded open letter to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, firmly rejecting allegations that the massive gathering of Indian-Australians at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s community reception in Melbourne was a “paid crowd” sponsored by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or the Government of India.

The organisers described the allegations as “entirely false, deeply disrespectful and profoundly insulting” to the Indian-Australian community, asserting that the event represented a genuine expression of enthusiasm from the Indian diaspora rather than a politically orchestrated gathering. They urged the Congress leadership to publicly withdraw the claims and issue an unconditional apology to the thousands of people who voluntarily attended the event.

Prime Minister Modi addressed more than 30,000 members of the Indian diaspora at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on July 9, in what has been described as one of the largest receptions ever accorded to a visiting world leader in Australia. The event, titled “Melbourne Meets Modi,” witnessed enthusiastic participation from Indian-origin families, professionals, students and business leaders from across Australia, with chants of “Modi, Modi” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” reverberating throughout the stadium.

Responding to allegations circulated by Congress leaders and party-linked social media accounts, the organisers clarified that the large turnout was entirely community-driven and was made possible through months of voluntary planning and coordination.

In the open letter, the organisers said they were “deeply disappointed” by the claims that participants had been financially supported by the BJP or the Government of India.

“We are deeply disappointed by statements and social media commentary from Congress office-bearers and individuals associated with your party alleging that those who travelled to Melbourne were a ‘paid crowd’ funded by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or the Government of India. These allegations are entirely false, deeply disrespectful, and profoundly insulting to the Indian-Australian community,” the letter stated.

Addressing speculation surrounding the community initiative popularly referred to as “Modi Airways,” the organisers explained that it was simply a volunteer-led effort to coordinate travel for people wishing to attend the event from different Australian cities. They said volunteers helped organise travel logistics for attendees from Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and other locations, but categorically denied that any government or political party had financed these arrangements.

According to the organisers, participants either paid for their own travel or travelled through community-supported initiatives funded by fellow community members and volunteers.

“No government or political party financed their attendance. Those who made the journey did so voluntarily. They took leave from work, rearranged family commitments, travelled long distances, and invested their own time and resources because they wished to be part of a significant community event,” the letter said.

The organisers emphasised that the passengers represented the broad diversity of Australia’s Indian diaspora, including doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs, teachers, students, retirees, professionals and families who have established successful lives in Australia while maintaining strong cultural and emotional ties with India.

They argued that dismissing such individuals as a “manufactured” or “paid” crowd amounted to an insult not only to Prime Minister Modi’s supporters but to the dignity and independence of thousands of Indian-Australians.

“The passengers represented the diversity of the Indian-Australian community. They are individuals who have built successful lives in Australia while maintaining a strong cultural and emotional connection with India. 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 organisers wrote.

The letter further stressed that the Indian diaspora should not be viewed as an extension of India’s domestic political landscape.

“We are not a collection of political props. We do not require anyone’s permission to celebrate our heritage, welcome a democratically elected leader, or participate in events that strengthen the relationship between Australia and India,” the organisers said.

They noted that the event celebrated not only Prime Minister Modi’s visit but also the rapidly expanding strategic partnership between Australia and India, while recognising the growing contribution of the Indian community to Australian society.

Explaining the motivations behind the overwhelming attendance, the organisers said people participated for a wide range of reasons.

“Some admire Prime Minister Modi. Others wished to witness a historic diplomatic visit. Many came to celebrate the friendship between Australia and India. Others simply wanted to participate in an event of historic significance for the Indian diaspora. Such diversity of motivation is the very essence of a healthy democracy,” the letter stated.

While acknowledging that political parties have every right to oppose the Prime Minister and criticise government policies, the organisers argued that such political disagreements should not extend to questioning the motives or integrity of ordinary citizens living overseas.

Addressing Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge directly, they wrote that criticism of the BJP was legitimate in a democracy, but branding thousands of independent community members as a “paid crowd” crossed an unacceptable line.

“You are fully entitled to oppose Prime Minister Modi, criticise the BJP, and challenge the policies of the Government of India. Political disagreement is fundamental to any democratic society. However, it is neither fair nor appropriate to dismiss the independent choices of thousands of ordinary people simply because their enthusiasm does not align with a particular political narrative,” the organisers said.

They further argued that such allegations undermined the tremendous volunteer effort that made the event possible.

“When community members are labelled as a ‘paid crowd’, it diminishes the efforts of every volunteer who dedicated weeks to organising travel and logistics, every family that paid its own expenses, every worker who took leave, every senior citizen who undertook the journey, and every young Indian-Australian who participated with pride,” the letter noted.

Calling the allegations an “unfounded conspiracy,” the organisers said reducing months of community effort to political sponsorship unfairly questioned the integrity of everyone involved.

The organisers also pointed out that the Indian-Australian community represents a wide spectrum of political beliefs.

“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,” they said.

The letter concluded with three specific requests to the Congress leadership: publicly acknowledge that there is no evidence the “Modi Airways” initiative was funded by the BJP or the Government of India; withdraw allegations describing attendees as a paid or manufactured crowd; and issue an unconditional apology to the organisers, volunteers, passengers and the broader Indian-Australian community.

The organisers also invited Congress representatives to engage directly with community leaders before making similar allegations in the future, saying they would have willingly explained the registration process, travel arrangements and the extensive volunteer network behind the event.

Ending on a conciliatory note, the organisers said India’s political differences should never come at the cost of alienating the overseas Indian community.

“Mr Gandhi and Mr Kharge, the Indian diaspora should never become collateral damage in India’s domestic political debates. We therefore look forward to a public correction of these inaccurate claims and an unconditional apology to the community whose integrity has been unfairly questioned.”

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)