Microsoft 'fired' Indian-American Vaniya Agrawal for confronting Bill Gates, Satya Nadella; who is she?

Microsoft has terminated two employees, including Indian-American software engineer Vaniya Agrawal, following their disruptions during the company's 50th-anniversary celebrations at its Redmond, Washington headquarters. The protests were aimed at criticizing Microsoft's alleged involvement in supplying artificial intelligence technology to the Israeli military. On April 5, 2025, Ibtihal Aboussad interrupted a speech by Microsoft's AI CEO, Mustafa Suleyman, accusing the company of enabling violence in the Middle East. She was escorted out after making hostile accusations and displaying aggressive behavior. Later, Vaniya Agrawal disrupted a Q&A session featuring CEO Satya Nadella and former CEOs Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, similarly condemning Microsoft's alleged role in Israeli military actions.

Following these incidents, both employees were dismissed. Aboussad was terminated for acts of misconduct, with Microsoft citing her aggressive conduct and lack of remorse. Agrawal had previously submitted her resignation, effective April 11, but the company decided to make her departure immediate. In her resignation email, Agrawal stated, "I cannot, in good conscience, be part of a company that participates in this violent injustice." She accused Microsoft of being complicit in alleged war crimes and called for the company to sever ties with the Israeli government. These protests were part of a coordinated effort by the activist group "No Azure for Apartheid," which opposes Microsoft's contracts with Israel. The group alleges that Microsoft's technology supports Israeli military operations, a claim that has been a point of contention within the company. Microsoft has stated that while it supports employees' rights to express their views, actions that cause business disruptions are unacceptable. The company emphasized the availability of internal channels for employees to voice concerns respectfully.