Indian-origin US defence expert Ashley Tellis' arrest sparks political slugfest in India
PTC News Desk: The arrest of Ashley Tellis in US has triggered a political slugfest across continents in India. According to the reports, he worked with both Congress and NDA, while the BJP has alleged that he was also a part of anti-India force, widely celebrated by the opposition.
Defence expert of Indian-origin and longtime advisor on South Asia policy was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly hoarding classified documents and meeting Chinese government officials, according to court filings unsealed this week.
According to the Justice Department, Tellis, 63 unlawfully piled up national defence information, including more than a thousand pages of top secret and secret documents found at his home in Vienna, Virginia.
Tellis, a respected analyst largely vocal over India US ties and served under multiple administrations, was arrested on Friday and formally charged on Monday. He is also a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington think tank.
Ashley Tellis worked with both the Republicans and Democrats, and with the George Bush administration on the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.
However, his recent views were considered to be against the Indian government.
Ashley Tellis has collaborated with both Republican and Democratic administrations, including playing a key role under President George W. Bush in shaping the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement.
In recent years, however, his opinions have often been viewed as critical of the Indian government.
For instance, his August 2025 article in Foreign Affairs titled India’s Great-Power Delusions, and an earlier May 2023 piece, America’s Bad Bet on India, questioned New Delhi’s strategic choices — the latter asserting that India would not align with Washington in any confrontation with Beijing.
Although Tellis frequently appeared on television debates and podcasts, many began to label him as a “favourite of the left-liberal lobby,” largely because of his recurring argument that “India has lost its primacy.”
"This explains why Ashley Tellis, often cited and celebrated by India's opposition, spoke so frequently and harshly against us," remarked BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya.
"The forces working against India are beginning to unravel in ways few could have imagined," he added.
- With inputs from agencies
