Melbourne, July 14 (IANS) The organisers of the 'Melbourne Meets Modi' event have written an open letter to the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, strongly rejecting the claims that the thousands of Indian-Australian attendees at the July 9 Marvel Stadium reception were a "paid crowd" funded by the BJP or the Indian government.

More than 30,000 people gathered in Melbourne ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the Indian community at Marvel Stadium on July 9, making it one of the largest gatherings ever for any world leader in Australia. The massive turnout in the event titled "Melbourne Meets Modi" reflects the enthusiasm of the Indian diaspora, with the venue echoing with chants of "Modi, Modi" and "Bharat Mata ki Jai."

The organisers described the allegations as baseless and offensive, asserting that the event reflected the genuine enthusiasm of the Indian diaspora in Australia and was made possible through voluntary community efforts rather than political funding. They also called on the Congress leadership to publicly retract the claims and apologise to the Indian-Australian community.

Explaining the arrangements made for those travelling from different parts of Australia, the organisers said the initiative known as "Modi Airways" was a volunteer-driven community effort that coordinated domestic travel from cities including Sydney.

In the open letter, the organisers wrote, "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 organisers emphasised that whether attendees travelled from Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane or any other part of Australia, none of their travel was financed by the BJP, the Government of India or the Australian government.

They said participants either paid their own travel expenses or travelled through community-supported arrangements organised by volunteers, reflecting the willingness of professionals, families, students and senior citizens to participate in what they viewed as a significant community event.

Rejecting the allegations, the organisers said, "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."

Highlighting the diversity of those who attended, they added, "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 further stated that the Indian diaspora was "not a collection of political props" and was not directed by political parties in India. They said members of the community 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."

According to the organisers, the "Melbourne Meets Modi" event showcased the growing partnership between Australia and India and recognised the valuable contribution of the Indian community to Australian society.

Explaining the varied reasons behind the large turnout, the organisers said, "People attended for many 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."

While acknowledging the Congress party's right to political opposition, the organisers argued that criticism of the Prime Minister should not be extended to ordinary members of the diaspora.

Addressing Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, they wrote, "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 letter further stated, "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."

Calling the allegations unfounded, the organisers added, "To reduce that extraordinary community effort to a politically funded conspiracy is not legitimate scrutiny; it is an unfounded allegation that undermines the integrity of the people involved."

The organisers also said that while the Congress party has consistently spoken about respecting democratic values and the voice of ordinary citizens, the same principle should extend to members of the Indian diaspora regardless of their political preferences or the public events they choose to attend.

They noted, "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 organisers urged the Congress leadership to "Publicly acknowledge that there is no evidence that the Modi Airways flight was financed by the BJP or the Government of India; withdraw the allegation that its passengers constituted a paid or manufactured crowd; offer an apology to the organisers, volunteers, passengers, and the broader Indian-Australian community whose integrity has been unfairly questioned."

They further said such an apology would not require the Congress party to alter its political stand on Prime Minister Modi but would simply recognise that members of the Indian diaspora are capable of making independent decisions.

They also invited Congress representatives to engage directly with community organisers before making similar allegations in the future, saying they would have readily explained how the initiative was organised, how participants registered and the extensive volunteer effort involved.

Concluding the letter, the organisers said, "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."

--IANS

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