Melbourne: The organisers of the ‘Melbourne Meets Modi’ event have strongly rejected allegations that thousands of Indian-Australian attendees at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reception in Melbourne were a “paid crowd” funded by the BJP or the Indian government.

In an open letter addressed to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the organisers described the claims as “false, disrespectful and insulting” to the Indian-Australian community and demanded a public withdrawal of the allegations.

Organisers Say Event Reflected Indian Diaspora’s Enthusiasm

The event, held at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on July 9, witnessed the participation of more than 30,000 people ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s address to the Indian community.

The organisers said the gathering was the result of voluntary community participation and reflected the enthusiasm of Indian-Australians rather than any political funding.

They stated that attendees travelled from cities including Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane, with many arranging their own travel and expenses.

‘Modi Airways’ Was Volunteer-Led Initiative, Organisers Say

Addressing claims related to travel arrangements, organisers said the initiative known as “Modi Airways” was coordinated by volunteers to help community members travelling from different parts of Australia.

They clarified that travel expenses were not funded by the BJP, the Government of India or the Australian government.

The organisers said participants included professionals, families, students and senior citizens who travelled voluntarily to be part of what they described as a significant event for the Indian diaspora.

Organisers Demand Public Retraction and Apology

Rejecting the “paid crowd” allegations, the organisers said describing attendees in such terms undermined the efforts of volunteers and questioned the independence of Indian-Australians.

They urged Congress leaders to:

• Acknowledge that there is no evidence that travel arrangements were financed by the BJP or the Indian government.
• Withdraw the allegation that attendees were a “paid or manufactured crowd”.
• Apologise to organisers, volunteers and members of the Indian-Australian community.

The organisers said political parties have the right to criticise governments and leaders, but ordinary citizens should not be targeted for participating in community events.

‘Diaspora Should Not Become Collateral Damage in Political Debates’

The organisers said Indian-Australians have diverse political views, with some supporting Congress, some supporting BJP and others having no political affiliation.

They added that the diaspora should not become part of domestic political conflicts in India and called for greater respect for the choices of overseas Indian communities.

The organisers also invited political representatives to communicate with community members before making similar claims in the future, saying the arrangements and volunteer efforts behind the event could have been explained directly.

“The Congress leaders have not issued a response to the organisers’ letter so far.”