New FBI Chief Kash Patel Once Slammed Western Media For Ayodhya Ram Temple Coverage, Backed Modi Govt

Indian-American Kash Patel was officially sworn in as the ninth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Friday. He took the oath on the Bhagavad Gita.

His choice of scripture has sparked discussions, particularly in light of his past criticism of Western media narratives on the Ayodhya Ram Temple.

Although Patel has expressed his love for the US, he has also voiced strong opinions on the Western media's portrayal of India.

Kash Patel On Ayodhya Ram Mandir

The Western media had projected the consecration of the Ram Temple on January 22, 2024 as as a reflection of rising Hindu nationalism.

Taking strong objections to the narrative, the had criticised the journalists for ignoring the temple's deep-rooted Hindu history while focusing on the Babri Masjid demolition.

"To bring things really up to date, the opening of Ram's temple, when PM Modi went there, all Washington newspapers only covered the last 50 years of history. They forgot the 500 preceding years. Whether or not you are Hindu or Muslim, there was a Hindu temple there for one of the quintessential gods in the Hindu pantheon in 1500 that was toppled, and they have been trying to get it back for 500 years," The Times of India quoted Kash Patel as saying.

Patel Backed Modi

Calling the Western media's framing of the event a "disinformation campaign," Patel alleged that this bias was part of a broader effort to undermine both India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He suggested that some media outlets drew parallels between Modi and Trump.

"But the Washington establishment forgot that part of history to put on what I believe is a disinformation campaign that's harmful to India and the PM's (Narendra Modi) position. They're using that because I think they liken Trump and Modi as similar figures and the establishment class in Washington doesn't want that to be the case," Patel claimed.