Indian business leader launches extraordinary attack on Pauline Hanson: 'Have some butter chicken and count the numbers again'

By SARAH BROOKES - SENIOR REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 02:37, 17 August 2026 | Updated: 02:38, 17 August 2026 An Indian-business leader launched an extraordinary attack on Pauline Hanson, telling the One Nation leader to 'have some butter chicken and count the numbers again' as he claimed Indian migrants are being unfairly blamed for Australia's population pressures. The swipe came after Hanson renewed calls for a crackdown on international student numbers, claiming some were using study visas as a pathway to permanent residency. 'They're using it as a back door to get into the country.' Hanson instead said immigration to Australia should focus solely on genuine skills shortages. Sydney-based migration agent Jaswinder Mann said Indian migrants and international students had become the country's 'easy target', despite making up only a small proportion of the overall population. 'Every time Australia talks about migration cuts, somehow Indian migrants and international students become the easy target,' Mr Mann said. 'But let's check the full picture. 'India-born people are around 3.5 per cent of Australia's population, while Indian temporary visa holders represent roughly 1 per cent only of the total population. Migration agent Jaswinder Mann (pictured) argued that Indian migrants and international students have become the country's 'easy target' in the migration debate Pauline Hanson said migrants are using Australia's student visa system to gain permanent residency  Approximately 100,000 Indian students are currently in Australia on student visas. 'Hundreds of thousands more are Australian citizens and permanent residents, working, paying taxes, running businesses and creating jobs. 'Before blaming India, have some butter chicken and count the numbers again.' India has been Australia's fastest-growing major migrant population by sheer numbers over the past decade, with the India-born population more than doubling from about 449,000 in 2015 to 971,000 in 2025. It was followed by China, whose Australia-based population increased by about 223,000 to 732,000, and the Philippines, which grew by around 171,000 to 413,000. Mr Mann claimed many Australians overlook the fact that New Zealand citizens make up one of the largest temporary migrant cohorts in the country. According to Mr Mann, around 730,000 of Australia's 2.97 million temporary visa holders are New Zealand citizens living and working indefinitely in Australia under Special Category Visa arrangements. 'If temporary migration is the problem, why does India keep becoming the headline?' he asked. 'Aunty Pauline Hanson please explain: Have some butter chicken and count all the numbers again.' Mr Mann's comments come as migration again emerges as a key political battleground, with the Albanese government still finalising a major overhaul of Australia's migration system. The delayed package is expected to include tougher family visa rules, tighter restrictions on asylum seekers' work and appeal rights, and changes to working holiday visas as Labor seeks to further curb migration levels.