WSJ ad: When economic fugitives and frauds run anti-India campaigns

An anti-India advertisement published in the Wall Street Journal calls for sanctions against India's FM and ironically, the man behind the ad is someone who has long been dubbed as fugitive economic offender by the ED

New Delhi, Oct 17: The anti-India network can go to any lengths and it does not matter to them even if it is powered by a fugitive economic offender. This time the man in the news for the shameful anti-India advertisement in the Wall Street Journal is Ramachandran Viswanathan, an accused in a money laundering case, fugitive economic offender and former CEO of Devas.

The anti-India rant:

Viswanathan, a US citizen of Indian origin, is in the forefront of an anti-India, anti-Modi campaign calling for sanctions against Nirmala Sitharaman, the finance minister of India. The advertisement also calls for sanctions against Supreme Court judges and top enforcement agency officials under America's Magnitsky Act.

The manner in which the advertisement has been put out makes it clear that the campaign is also against the judiciary as the Supreme Court had ruled that Devas was involved in corruption. Not just the PM, but this campaign is also against the sovereignty of India as well, a source tells OneIndia.

The WSJ advertisement:

On October 13, a full page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal was placed alleging that India's Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman and 10 others had decimated the law by weaponising the institutions of the state. This was done to settle scores with political and business rivals as a result of which India has become unsafe for investors.

Senior advisor, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Kanchan Gupta took to Twitter and said, Shameful weaponisation of American media by fraudsters.

This shockingly vile ad targeting #India and its Government appeared in @WSJ. Do you know who is behind this and similar ads? This ad campaign is being run by fugitive Ramachandra Vishwanathan, who was the CEO of Devas.

Shameful weaponisation of American media by fraudsters.
This shockingly vile ad targeting #India and its Government appeared in @WSJ .
Do you know who is behind this and similar ads?
This ad campaign is being run by fugitive Ramachandra Vishwanathan, who was the CEO of Devas.
n1 pic.twitter.com/o7EWFmMsSR

— Kanchan Gupta 🇮🇳 (@KanchanGupta) October 15, 2022

The deceptive advertisement titled 'Wanted Modi's Magnitsky Act 11' says, "under PM Modi, a decline in the rule of law has made India a dangerous place to invest. If you are an investor in India, you might be next."

What is Magnitsky Act:

The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability empowers the US government to sanction foreign government officials and also freeze their assets. The President can pass an order denying entry into the US, revoke an already issued visa and block property under US jurisdiction. It also gives the power to prohibit US persons from entering into transactions with any foreign person for human rights violations.

Chronic India hater:

The advertisement which carries the name of Frontiers of Freedom as the sponsor is headed by George Landrith whose Twitter timeline has a several unfounded allegations against India and the Modi government.

Ironically, the anti-India advertisement was placed by the Frontiers of Freedom coinciding with Nirmala Sitharaman's visit to the United States. Landrith had written on Twitter that Nirmala Sitharaman's actions have decimated the rule of law and investment climate in India.

"Over the next several days, finance ministers from all over the world will come together for the IMF and World Bank meeting and they will have a hard time looking past abuses committed by India against American and Indian citizens," Landrith also alleged.

Tagging BJP hater Rana Ayyub

Interestingly in one of the tweets Landrith tagged BJP hater Rana Ayyub and said, "the bottom line is this: If @NSitharaman, @BJP4India & @NarendraModi really believe that foreign investors will continue to ignore the abuse and harassment committed by the Indian government, they are mistaken."

One must note that the Enforcement Directorate in its charge sheet against Rana had accused her of fraudulently collecting Rs 2.7 crore from the public and laundered the money instead of using it for charity work.

The bottom line is this: If @NSitharaman, @BJP4India & @NarendraModi really believe that foreign investors will continue to ignore the abuse and harassment committed by the Indian gov’t, they are mistaken…@RanaAyyub @rnbhaskar1.

— George Landrith (@GLandrith) October 12, 2022

A fugitive and an India hater:

Now coming back to Vishwanathan, he is a fugitive economic offender as dubbed by the Enforcement Directorate. In 2004 during the UPA regime, he co-founded a company called Devas Multimedia Private Ltd in Bengaluru to provide satellite-based multimedia services.

Devas then inked a deal with Antrim Corporation to build two satellites, GSAT 6 and 6A. It was later alleged that Devas had insider information about the commercialisation of the S-band spectrum and it was obtained by Bengaluru based start-up at a very cheap rate.

The ED then moved a court in Bengaluru to declare Vishwanathan an economic offender in connection with failed 2005 satellite deal with Antrim Corp. The agency also filed a money laundering case alleging wrong-doing to the extent of Rs 578 crore.

FIRs were also registered against Executive Director of Antrix, K R Sridhara Murthi, M G Chandrasekhar and Vishwanathan of Forge Advisors, Devas Multimedia Private Ltd and unnamed officials of Antrix, ISRO and Department of Space by the CBI.