By: Qiuyi Tan
Police say they are aware of concerns that far-right Indian nationalist groups are operating in New Zealand and have a safety plan in place for an academic targeted by online trolls.
The comment comes after a Massey University professor came under fire for his research on Hindu nationalist ideology in Aotearoa.
A police spokesperson said safety plans are in place for Dean’s Chair in Communication Professor Mohan Dutta after he made a complaint earlier this month about offensive social media posts directed at him and the university.
Police believe the trolls are overseas but have supported Dutta and spoken to him at length.
“We are aware of concerns being raised that far-right nationalist or extremist Indian groups are operating in New Zealand.”
But there are none designated as terrorist entities in New Zealand, said the spokesperson.
“Police are concerned about all forms of extremism in NZ that has the potential to manifest in threatening acts of violence.”
In May, Dutta published a two-page white paper about Islamophobic elements in far-right Hindu nationalist ideology, or Hindutva, calling for careful examination of its presence in New Zealand.
Hindutva refers to a political ideology that seeks to establish a monolithic Hindu nation in India, a movement that has gained ground since Narendra Modi’s nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014.
This story is first appeared on nzherald.co.nz