Indian-American MIT Student Deletes LinkedIn After Pro-Palestine Speech Stirs Row

Last Updated:May 31, 2025, 12:24 IST

In her speech, Megha Vemuri had condemned Israel's actions in Gaza and criticized MIT's research ties with the Israeli military

Vemuri, who wore a red keffiyeh during her address as a symbol of Palestinian solidarity, has not publicly commented on the deactivation of her LinkedIn profile.

Megha Vemuri, an Indian-American student and president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Class of 2025, has deactivated her LinkedIn profile following intense online backlash over her pro-Palestine speech during her graduation ceremony.

In her speech, Vemuri had condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and criticized MIT’s research ties with the Israeli military. She stated, “The Israeli occupation forces are the only foreign military that MIT has research ties with," suggesting that the university’s affiliations contributed to the violence against Palestinians.

Following the speech, Vemuri’s LinkedIn profile was deactivated, with users on social media platforms noting its absence.

One user on X, identified as Ouriel, shared screenshots of the link to her LinkedIn profile and wrote, “Make that b*tch famous. May she never find any career path and be humiliated for what she just did and did before that ps: Megha if you really want to sound cool, work on your “rrrrrhaazzzza" accent."

Additionally, Ouriel shared a conversation with X’s AI chatbot, Grok, where he inquired, “Was Megha Vemuri banned from graduation ceremony today?" The AI responded affirmatively, stating that Vemuri was barred from attending the ceremony due to her deviation from the approved speech and alleged disruption. “MIT Chancellor Melissa Nobles informed Vemuri via email that she and her family were barred from campus for most of Friday, citing that Vemuri “deliberately and repeatedly misled Commencement organizers" and violated MIT’s rules by leading a “protest from the stage," disrupting the ceremony," it added.

Vemuri, who wore a red keffiyeh during her address as a symbol of Palestinian solidarity, has not publicly commented on the deactivation of her LinkedIn profile. Additionally, MIT has not publicly responded to the content of her speech or the status of its research affiliations with Israeli institutions.

Born and raised in Alpharetta, Georgia, Vemuri is of Indian origin and has been a prominent figure in student life at MIT. She recently completed her undergraduate degree in computer science, neuroscience, and linguistics, and served as president of the graduating class. Beyond her academic work, Vemuri was involved in campus advocacy and research, leading the Written Revolution initiative and working at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research.

ALSO READ: Who Is Megha Vemuri? Indian-American Student In Spotlight For Calling Out Israel’s ‘Genocide’

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