BJP Leaders, Economist Slam Indian-American Defence Expert Ashley Tellis After FBI Arrest For Allegedly Retaining Classified US Documents

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has slammed Ashley Tellis (64), Mumbai-born  Indian-American defence expert who was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at his home in Vienna, Virginia, over the weekend.

Significantly, Sanjeev Sanyal, economist and a member of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council known for his close proximity to the Union government, too came down heavily on Tellis calling him a "deep state asset." Priyanka Chaturvedi, Rajya Sabha M.P. of the Shiv Sena (UBT) too joined the chorus for good measure alleging that Tellis "wasn't an expert but a sell-out."

Known for not mincing his words, Tellis, who had earlier worked with both Republican and Democratic administrations,  was perceived in India as a left liberal who was critical of the Modi government. His article titled "India's Great Power Delusions" in the August, 2025 issue of the prestigious publication Foreign Affairs and a May 2023 opinion piece "America's Bad Bet on India" had cast doubts on India's strategic alignment with the U.S. and said New Delhi would not back Washington in forging an axis against Beijing. He had fallen foul of the Indian ministry of external affairs because of these and other writings.

Chief of the national IT cell of the BJP, Amit Malviya, noted that Tellis was "often cited and celebrated by India's opposition" for speaking harshly against the Union government. "The forces working against India are beginning to unravel in ways few could have imagined," he added in an X post.

In another post he named journalists who had interviewed Tellis viz Ritika Chopra of The Indian Express, Karan Thapar of The Wire and think-tank experts like Milan Vaishnav of the  think-tank Carnegie Endowment and Pratyaksh Kumar of Geostrata. Malviya alleged that the interviews granted by Tellis were a part of a wider anti-government narrative.

Mixed Reactions from Experts and Analysts

However, others like K.C. Singh, ex-diplomat and strategic affairs expert, expressed shock over the arrest and said Tellis was "an outstanding analyst of diplomacy and defence." He tellingly asked "Is this revenge for past criticism of the current rulers or something more? In today's U.S. it could be either."

Author and commentator Sandip Ghose sought a probe into Tellis' connections in India by the Union ministry of home affairs. "Were there politicians he was advising on behalf of foreign interests? What was his role in the U.S. state department after 2012? Was he a double agent? Many questions remain unanswered" he posted on X.

FBI Seizes Top Secret Documents

The FBI claimed to have recovered classified papers marked "top secret" from Tellis' home. He was apparently under close surveillance by the FBI and other  American secret service agencies for the past several months. The FBI accused him of misusing his authorised access to government offices to make copies of top secret defence documents. Tellis also was reportedly in close touch with Chinese officials.