The arrest of Ashley J. Tellis, a leading Indian-origin foreign-policy scholar and senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, has triggered ripples across diplomatic and political circles in both Washington and New Delhi. Tellis, who holds the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs at Carnegie (now sent on leave), was charged this week with unlawfully retaining classified US national defence information — an offence under the Espionage Act. Tellis, allegedly under Chinese influence, turned against India and even reportedly tried to influence India-US ties.
US prosecutors allege that FBI agents discovered more than 1,000 pages of documents marked “secret” and “top secret” at Tellis’s Virginia residence. The 64-year-old former White House adviser has denied wrongdoing and is expected to contest the charges in court. The Justice Department filing outlines years of access to sensitive material during his tenure in government, while media reports have cited possible interactions with Chinese officials as part of the investigation.
Carnegie confirmed that Tellis has been placed on administrative leave, including suspension from his duties as Tata Chair. The position was established in 2017 “in recognition of Ratan N. Tata’s leadership” on Carnegie’s board of trustees. The Tata Chair was designed to support research on U.S. foreign policy and Asian security. The Tata Group’s association is described as philanthropic, and there is no indication that the conglomerate or its leaders are connected to the criminal case.
Tellis’s arrest has drawn attention not only because of his stature as a strategist but also due to his increasingly critical stance toward Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. In a 2023 essay titled “America’s Bad Bet on India” in Foreign Affairs, Tellis argued that Washington had overestimated India’s willingness to align against China, describing New Delhi’s strategic autonomy as a constraint on deeper partnership.
Earlier this year, in a widely discussed paper titled “India’s Great-Power Delusions”, Tellis contended that India lacked the institutional capacity, economic momentum, and political cohesion to emerge as a true global power. His views, sharply at odds with New Delhi’s self-image, drew criticism from analysts who accused him of being “anti-India” and dismissive of India’s achievements under Modi.
Following his arrest, sections of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have cited his past remarks as evidence of “anti-government bias.” BJP IT-cell head Amit Malviya posted on X (formerly Twitter): “This explains why Ashley Tellis, often cited and celebrated by India’s opposition, spoke so frequently and harshly against us. The forces working against India are beginning to unravel in ways few could have imagined.”
This explains why Ashley Tellis, often cited and celebrated by India’s opposition, spoke so frequently and harshly against us.
The forces working against India are beginning to unravel in ways few could have imagined. https://t.co/ojYOP28nOE pic.twitter.com/OsjWsWuBKy
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) October 14, 2025
Since Tellis held the Tata Chair post, pro-BJP analysts had questioned his continuation at the post supported by the Indian conglomerate. However, seemingly, Tellis was able to continue due to Carnegie’s deep institutional ties with Tata philanthropy and the conglomerate’s tradition of supporting academic independence. Tellis’ arrest is an example and learning for conglomerates that when an expert starts taking hostile and biased stand, it not only poses serious threat to ties but can also lead to reputational risks. The controversy has now reignited debate over the balance between academic freedom and corporate responsibility in publicly funded think-tank partnerships.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
