Indian-origin man likely to face deportation over TikTok video at WW2 Memorial in US
Updated: Mar 9th, 2026
 |
| Image: X (kaylee_ashlynn) |
An Indian-origin man in the United States may face deportation after a video showing him dancing at the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC, went viral, triggering widespread criticism online and drawing the attention of US authorities, as per reports.
The man, reportedly identified on social media as Madhu Raju, is believed to be living in the US on a non-immigrant visa. The video, which first appeared on TikTok and later spread across other platforms, shows him performing a choreographed dance at the National World War II Memorial on the National Mall. A woman can also be seen dancing alongside him, though her identity has not been confirmed.
The World War II Memorial honours the 16 million Americans who served in the armed forces during the war and more than 4,00,000 who lost their lives. It is widely considered a place of solemn remembrance and reflection.
The controversy began earlier this week after the video started circulating online. Many social media users and veterans’ groups criticised the act, saying the memorial should not be used as a backdrop for social media content or entertainment.
Some critics also argued that people travelling abroad should be better informed about cultural etiquette and civic responsibility before leaving the country.
The situation escalated when an activist on X tagged cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks, claiming that the man in the video was Madhu Raju, who had reportedly been working there as a Cloud Network Security Engineer since June 2025. The post warned the company that its legal team might soon be contacted regarding the issue, as per reports.
Social media users also claimed that Raju ran a dance studio called MAD Dallas. As the backlash intensified, the studio’s website and social media accounts appeared to have been taken down.
Raju had reportedly been active on TikTok as well, but several of his online profiles, including LinkedIn and Instagram, were deleted after the video gained widespread attention.
