MP Lekhi attempts to educate tech CEO Nadella
NEW DELHI: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, the man widely credited with turning around the company’s fortunes and making it cool again, is no stranger to criticism but it is unlikely he has been told that he needs “to be educated”.
That alleged inadequacy was addressed on Tuesday by the BJP MP from New Delhi, Meenakshi Lekhi. “How the literate need to be educated ! Perfect example. Precise reason for CAA is to grant opportunities to persecuted minorities from Bangladesh,
Pakistan & Afghanistan. How about granting these opportunities to Syrian Muslims instead of Yezidis in USA?” Lekhi posted on Twitter.
Her comments came after Ben Smith, editor-in-chief of Buzzfeed
News, on Monday, quoted Nadella on India’s Citizenship (Amendment) Act saying: “I think what is happening is sad... it’s just bad... I would love to see a Bangladeshi immigrant who comes to India and creates the next unicorn in India or becomes the next CEO of Infosys.”
While several Twitter users pointed to Nadella’s credentials, others mocked Lekhi by suggesting that the Microsoft CEO should perhaps go to “Whatsapp University”.
Microsoft issued a separate statement from Nadella where he nuanced the issue without mentioning the names of countries or companies. “Every country will and should define its borders, protect national security and set immigration policy accordingly. And in democracies, that is something that the people and their governments will debate and define within those bounds. I’m shaped by my Indian heritage, growing up in a multicultural India and my immigrant experience in the United States. My hope is for an India where an immigrant can aspire to found a prosperous start-up or lead a multinational corporation benefiting Indian society and the economy at large”.
Nadella isn’t the first technology industry executive to face criticism for his position on CAA. In December, venture capitalist Tim Draper tweeted: “India choosing one religion over another makes me seriously concerned about my plans to fund businesses there. #freedom #freedomofreligion”.that comment, too, attracted debate.
The CAA fast-tracks Indian citizenship for non-muslim minorities in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The passage of the act has caused people to come out on the streets in protests across India. The act has been challenged in the Supreme Court.