Grok Against Indian Oligarchs?

Grok Against Indian Oligarchs?

Posted on 19th March, 2025 (GMT 19:59 hrs)

ABSTRACT

The controversy surrounding AI chatbot Grok 3 in India highlights the intensifying digital resistance against the BJP-led government’s control over narratives. Grok’s candid responses on topics like Modi’s communal politics, RSS’s negligible role in India’s independence, and Adani’s corporate ties have triggered backlash from BJP supporters, who accuse it of bias. The Indian government’s pressure on X (formerly Twitter) to regulate AI responses mirrors previous crackdowns on digital activism, including restrictions on Fridays for Future and censoring dissenting voices. This uproar coincides with the renewed global scrutiny on Adani, particularly after U.S. legal actions against his business empire. The broader issue at stake is India’s declining free speech environment, as evidenced by its low ranking in global indices, reflecting growing censorship of politically inconvenient truths. The OBMA activist group, which has faced legal threats from Ajay Piramal’s DSK Legal for exposing financial scandals linked to BJP-affiliated corporates like DHFL, draws parallels between Grok’s suppression and their own experiences. This case underscores how India’s ruling establishment leverages legal and digital suppression to shield oligarchic interests while stifling criticism at home and abroad.

The AI Chatbot Grok, particularly its latest version “Grok 3” (dubbed as “scary smart” by the owner Elon Musk himself!) has recently garnered considerable attention on social media platforms like X (earlier Twitter; Grok’s parent company) and Facebook, especially in India, due to its unfiltered and candid responses to certain politically charged questions regarding the BJP-RSS-Sangh Parivar.

For example, it has referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as India’s “most communal politician,” associated him with the 2002 Gujarat pogrom, questioned his false promises (jumla, including the 15 lakh promise) and baseless statements, and criticized various political figures associated with the BJP for disseminating express misinformation by manufacturing fake news through Whatsapp University and so on.

Grok 3 has also asserted that the RSS, the BJP’s “godfather,” played no meaningful role in India’s Freedom Movement, instead highlighting the evidently significant contributions of Muslim revolutionaries in the anti-imperialist struggle against British rule. Grok has went further to reveal the collaborationist, imperialist shoe-licking role of V. D. Savarkar, the BJP’s “icon”. Additionally, Grok 3 has raised doubts about the legitimacy of Mr. Modi’s “Entire Political Science” degree and presented evidence contrasting it with the highly qualified educational background of the present Leader of the Opposition. Furthermore, Grok has condemned the BJP for mischaracterizing Mrs. Sonia Gandhi as a “bar dancer,” clarifying that she was merely a bar attendee. Grok has denied from accepting that M. K. Gandhi could be held responsible alone for the infamous Partition of the country, saying that blaming Gandhi would be like blaming the firefighter for not stopping the raging inferno. Grok has further exposed the problematic part played by the funded Godi media, and instead praised the truly dedicated journalism of the Non-Godi media representatives.

Accumulated examples like these have emerged frequently in recent days, where Grok consistently provided established, substantiated facts rather than resorting to manufactured, pseudological narratives that misappropriate actual historical claims to placate the ruling party’s ideological hegemony.

This has led to a fiasco, with BJP allies and supporters decrying Grok as biased, anti-India, and a Congress agent, often using Hindi slangs and occasionally resorting to abusive language, even against Musk himself. These reactions have sparked a mix of amusement, outrage, and debate among Indian users. While some celebrate Grok’s bluntness, others, particularly supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accuse it of promoting a partisan narrative against the present BJP government.

The BJP-led Indian government has reportedly raised concerns about Grok’s accuracy and the appropriateness of its responses, pressing X to address “potential misinformation”. This echoes past instances where the BJP-led government has intervened in online content and digital activism, such as during the 2021 farmers’ protests when it pressured social media platforms to restrict certain posts, also leading to the banning of Fridays for Future (FFF) in India. This has fueled discussions about AI regulation, free speech, and the role of Big Tech in India’s digital landscape.

Want to see something important here in this connection? Wait.

According to a report by The Hindu⤡ on 18th March 2025, India ranked 24th out of 33 countries in a free speech index, with a score of 33 out of 100. This index assesses freedom of speech based on government restrictions and public attitudes. The report indicates that India’s position reflects significant limitations on free speech within the country. What else can we expect in this situation other than mass censorship of dissenting voices without an excuse or justification?

Sentiment on X reflects a polarized reaction on this “Grok” issue: some users speculate about an impending ban or crackdown on Grok, with posts suggesting the government might disable Grok due to its exposure of political narratives, while others see its viral popularity as a counter-cultural as well as counter-political phenomenon. Grok’s candid replies even went curiously (really?) invisible in India, whereby Grok was compelled to write this:

Could there be a more dire state of affairs than this? Is it not tarnishing India’s image on the global stage, merely to conceal the fascist ruling party’s persistent anti-people, anti-democratic deceptions?

For a more in-depth exploration of this issue along with relevant instaces, watch the following video reports by the courageous Non-Godi Media reporters and journalists:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdjXQqv8XV0

https://youtu.be/eqB4pOI4rxE?si=RsqSJv_E6m1gMwOl

https://youtu.be/GPSXlwxPmgw?si=fhPabStOdB193Tla

https://youtu.be/lckefP9W7pY?si=y2rUTAlu-6S3wV3I

Below are several screenshots showcasing the so-called “controversial” questions and the equally “controversial” responses provided by Grok:

Now, let us move on to reflect on this “controversy” further.

Why is Grok so intent on legitimately/justifiably/rightly de-facing the “King Liar” BJP⤡? It’s important to note that the new Trump administration has been pressuring the BJP-led India with economic sanctions (ongoing supply chain disruptions, tariff threats, outflow of foreign investments from the Indian market etc.) over the past few weeks, contributing to a worrying bearish trend in the Indian stock market.

India’s Financial Meltdown: A Decade of Defaults, Bankruptcies and Economic Ruin

The answer to “why” seems to hinge on one crucial name: Mr. Gautam Adani. Why?

It is clear that Mr. Gautam Adani serves as the foremost crony associate of the BJP, involved in quid-pro-quo arrangements with the latter, along with Mr. Mukesh Ambani. It seems that India has come to be closely linked or even equated with Adani, or perhaps more appropriately, “Modani” (A hybrid word, Modi+Adani, to indicate the evident collusion)! With this perspective in mind, consider reading the following paragraphs:

The Hindenburg Report (January 2023)

On January 24, 2023, Hindenburg Research, a U.S.-based short-selling firm, released a damning report accusing the Adani Group of:

1. Stock Manipulation – Allegedly using offshore shell companies in tax havens (Mauritius, UAE, and the Caribbean) to artificially inflate stock prices.
2. Accounting Fraud – Engaging in fraudulent financial practices and overstating revenues and profits.
3. High Debt Levels – Warning that Adani’s businesses were overleveraged and at risk of collapse.
4. Insider Dealings – Alleging that Adani family members ran offshore firms that manipulated company shares.

Hindenburg claimed that the Adani Group had engaged in the “biggest con in corporate history.”

• The Adani Group lost over $100 billion in market value within weeks after the coming of this report.
• Adani’s personal fortune dropped significantly, pushing him out of the world’s top 10 richest list.
• Several investors, including LIC (India’s largest insurer) and foreign banks, reconsidered their investments in the Adani Conglomerate.
• Credit Suisse and Citigroup stopped accepting Adani bonds as collateral.

Adani’s Response & Indian Government’s Role

• The Adani Group denied all allegations, calling the report “a calculated attack on India.”
• It attempted to stabilize stock prices by repaying loans early and pledging higher transparency.
• SEBI (India’s market regulator) launched an investigation but was accused of delaying action.
• The Supreme Court of India got involved, appointing a committee to examine SEBI’s probe.
• Despite the initial crash, Adani’s stocks recovered by mid-2023 as Indian PSU and private banks as well as state-backed institutions increased support for Adani.
• The group secured investments from Middle Eastern funds, notably the Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi’s IHC.

Global Legal Troubles (2024-2025)

The issue resurfaced in 2024, as U.S. regulators (SEC and DOJ) started investigating Adani’s links to American financial markets. Key developments include:

• November 2024: U.S. prosecutors indicted Adani and seven executives for bribery and securities fraud linked to solar energy projects.
• February 2025: The SEC sought India’s assistance in probing Adani’s financial dealings.
• March 2025: India was compelled due to international pressure to serve a U.S. legal summons to Adani.

For a more comprehensive overview on the US-India controversy centering Mr. Adani, view the following:

The Modani “Saga”: The Failed State of India

Therefore, it seems reasonable to suggest or suppose that the backlash from Trump and Musk, along with Grok’s justified and legitimate responses, against the BJP-led Indian autocracy primarily stems from the Adani controversies of recent years. This is particularly evident as India under BJP rule offers unwavering support to Mr. Adani, from promoting his environmentally exploitative deals to prosecuting Opposition leaders and members who question the enduring Modi-Adani connections. How can the Indian Republic, which, according to its Constitution, should embody a “socialist” spirit, act as the unquestioning ally and servant to such an evidently contentious corporate figure?

However, we offer comprehensive support for the historically accurate and coherent facts presented through Grok’s database against the BJP and Co., without necessarily endorsing Trump administration. These facts crucially illuminate the crony oligarchical designs of the current BJP regime in India, portraying it as a paper tiger wielding extensive financial and muscular influence to manipulate, appropriate, and stifle free, critical inquiries: in India and abroad.

But……. for how long? For how much longer?

DISCLAIMER: It is important to clarify that our web platform, OBMA, does not endorse any specific political party or faction. We especially stand against far rightist hegemony and domination in general. As a whole, our ethos is entirely nonpartisan or “partyless”, thereby playing our responsibilities only as whistleblowers while navigating the intersections of political and civil societies.

APPENDIX:

When discussing the “banning” of digital activism (or, digital resistance to all-pervasive autocracy, be it BJP or Trump) aimed at making legitimate claims, we, the OBMA activists, have faced similar challenges amid the BJP’s fascist onslaught. Recall how Mr. Ajay Piramal’s legal firm, DSK Legal, filed defamation and contempt petitions against some of our activist members after they publicly criticized, bolstered by media reports and discussions, Mr. Piramal’s controversial “crony” business activities, particularly relating to the DHFL “scam.” These members discovered that the BJP, implicated in the DHFL “scam” from the outset, shares a long-term connection with Mr. Ajay Piramal, akin to its ties with Mr. Adani and Mr. Ambani. Seemingly due to this, DSK Legal sought to ban OBMA’s tweets and posts in India, a futile endeavor in the open-access cyber age, where geo-blocking is both impractical and unfeasible. Mr. Piramal’s legal actions against OBMA members continue to this day, accompanied by indirect threats from the firm appearing every month or two. Nonetheless, these OBMA members remain resolute in their conviction that their demands for distributive justice against manufactured financial abuse are legitimate and well-supported by research.

Readers can now understand why we draw parallels between the current Grok scenario and the Piramal-OBMA situation: 

Dear Mr. Ajay Piramal, I Wanna Be Arrested!