Kashyap 'Kash' Patel becomes first ever Indian-Origin FBI director

The United States Senate has confirmed Kashyap 'Kash' Patel, an Indian-origin American, as the new director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). By a vote of 51-49 on Feb 20, the Republican-controlled US Senate gave him approval.

The White House Deputy Chief of Staff and President's aide, Dan Scavino, gave Patel a Bollywood-style welcome.

Scavino posted a dance video of the Bollywood song "Malhari" from the film "Bajirao Mastani" on X, replacing Patel's face with Ranveer Singh's.

"Congratulations to the new Director of the FBI, @Kash_Patel," Scavino captioned it.

So far, the 47-second video has been viewed over three million times and liked more than 10,000 times.

By a narrow vote of 51-49, the Republican-controlled US Senate confirmed Patel. Two Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, joined all Democrats in voting against the confirmation of Trump's nominee.

Nevertheless, Patel defeated the opposition as well as that of the Democrats, one of whom said that Patel "will cause evil in this building behind us" during a press conference outside the FBI headquarters in Washington, DC.

Shortly after being confirmed, Patel emphasized his dedication to rebuilding public confidence in the FBI and praised Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi for their support.

Additionally, he pledged to transform the organization into one that is "transparent, accountable, and committed to justice."

"The FBI has a storied legacy—from the "G-Men" to safeguarding our nation in the wake of 9/11. The American people deserve an FBI that is transparent, accountable, and committed to justice. The politicization of our justice system has eroded public trust—but that ends today. My mission as Director is clear: let good cops be cops—and rebuild trust in the FBI," he wrote in a post on X.

"Mission First. America always. Let's get to work," the new FBI director added.

Patel was born in New York in 1980 to Gujarati parents and spent his childhood in East Africa. He graduated from Garden City High School on Long Island.

According to his Department of Defense profile, Patel received his undergraduate degree from the University of Richmond before returning to New York to acquire his law degree and a diploma in International Law from the University College London Faculty of Laws in the United Kingdom.

He has also worked as the National Security Advisor and Senior Counsel to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI).