Charlie Kirk and Vivek Ramaswamy (Source: X)

Vivek Ramaswamy on Tuesday wished a happy birthday to a late Charlie Kirk, the prominent conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, who was assassinated last month.The post stirred a row, with netizens pointing out the irony of an Indian-origin figure mourning a MAGA spearhead who had previously called Indians “parasites” and opposed H-1B visas that allowed many Indians to live and work in the United States.About a week before his murder, Kirk had reiterated his tough stance on immigration, saying too many Indians were entering the United States.In a post on X, he had said, “America does not need more visas for people from India. Perhaps no form of legal immigration has so displaced American workers as those from India. Enough already. We’re full. Let’s finally put our own people first.”Kirk was fatally shot on September 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, when a sniper’s bullet struck him in the neck during an interactive event. The suspected shooter, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was arrested two days later in Washington, Utah. Robinson was charged with aggravated murder and reportedly told authorities he killed Kirk because he “spreads too much hate.”Kirk was widely known for his campus debates and his conservative, evangelical stances on issues such as abortion, gender, and criminal punishment. His views brought in hefty opposition from the political left, while MAGA supporters celebrated him. Among those paying tribute, JD Vance helped carry Kirk’s coffin aboard Air Force Two, while his wife, Usha, held hands with Kirk’s widow, Erika, offering comfort during the funeral procession.In the aftermath of the assassination, US President Donald Trump announced plans to posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom on what would have been his 32nd birthday, October 14, 2025.