‘Clog the toilet’: Racist online campaign targets Indians on H-1B visas
New York: Indian tech workers holding H-1B visas have become the target of a racist online campaign coordinated on far-right forums such as 4chan. The campaign, dubbed “Clog the Toilet”, reportedly seeks to disrupt flight bookings for Indians returning to the United States after vacationing in India.
The tactic involves reserving multiple seats on India–US flights and initiating the checkout process without completing payment. By repeatedly doing so, the campaigners temporarily block genuine passengers from purchasing tickets, leading to inflated fares.
The development follows former President Donald Trump’s September 21 announcement of a a$100,000 fee on H-1B visas, triggering panic among Indian professionals abroad. Many rushed to book tickets back to the US, fearing the new fee would apply to their re-entry.
One such passenger, Austin-based software engineer Amrutha Tamanam, said she struggled to secure a flight to Dallas on Qatar Airways and eventually paid nearly $2,000—more than double the original round-trip fare.
Posts on 4chan and Telegram contained racist slurs against South Asians, with users boasting about “wrecking Jeets” by blocking seats. Messages urged participants to “clog the flight reservation system” to keep Indians from returning.
Despite the online claims, an Air India spokesperson said the airline’s website had not experienced any disruption.
To ease concerns, the White House clarified that the $100,000 fee applies only to new H-1B petitions.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed: “Those who already hold H-1B visas and are currently outside of the country right now will NOT be charged $100,000 to re-enter.”
The campaign has raised fresh concerns about the intersection of immigration policy, racism, and online extremism in the United States.
***OPERATION: CLOG THE TOILET - UPDATE***
— CEO of Based (@UncyClaudius) September 20, 2025
4chan autists have now created automated scripts to overbook Indian flights.
If you're technically inclined, you can follow along using Postman! #CLOGTHETOILET pic.twitter.com/nplpaNwhAZ
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Former minister C M Ibrahim announces to launch new regional party for Karnataka
Kalaburagi: Two years after being expelled from the Janata Dal (Secular), former minister C.M. Ibrahim has announced that he will launch a new regional political party in Karnataka on January 24, reported Deccan Herald.
Speaking at a meeting organised by the Nava Karnataka Nirmana Andolana in Kalaburagi on Sunday, Ibrahim confirmed the birth of the new party.
The 77-year-old politician stated he would soon be meeting with other like-minded individuals to choose a symbol for the party.
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Ibrahim emphasised that the organisation would be guided by the principles of 12th-century social reformer Basavanna and the architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
A veteran politician, Ibrahim served as Union Civil Aviation Minister during the tenure of H.D. Deve Gowda as Prime Minister and later headed the Karnataka unit of the Janata Dal (Secular). He was expelled from the JD(S) in 2023 on charges of anti-party activities.
His exit from the party followed sharp differences over the JD(S) decision to ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). As the then state president of the JD(S), Ibrahim had publicly criticised the alliance, claiming it was finalised without his knowledge. He had also reportedly convened meetings of his supporters and expressed support for the INDIA bloc.
