US lawmakers urge Rubio to question India over handling of CJP protests

Washington (PTI): Six US Democratic lawmakers, including Pramila Jayapal and Ilhan Omar, have urged US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to raise with his Indian interlocutors the alleged excessive use of force during student protests in Delhi and other parts of India.

The congresspersons – Jayapal, Omar, Jim McGovern, Rashida Tlaib, Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Jesus Garcia – accused the Indian Embassy here and consulates in other American cities of deploying photographers for surveillance of protesters carrying out demonstrations in support of the Cockroach Janata Party.

Rubio is visiting India next week and meeting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Mumbai.

“We write with concern regarding a pattern of repression, wrongful detention, and excessive use of force by security forces during student protests in Delhi and other localities across India,” the congresspersons said in a letter to Rubio on Friday.

In their letter,the lawmakers cited the CJP protests against then education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the ongoing demonstrations seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as examples of alleged use of excessive forces against protesters.

Referring to the Special Intensive Revision, Jayapal voiced concern over the “purge” of 130 million voters from the draft electoral rolls in India, and extended support to the Cockroach Janata Party.

India’s Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, had slammed Jayapal's remarks and termed them “unacceptable interference in India’s internal affairs”.

“The free exercise of fundamental freedoms and the right to vote is core to the democratic identities of both the United States and India,” the lawmakers said.

“We ask that you use the occasion of your visit to raise these issues of great mutual concern to our two peoples,” they said.

Democratic leader and former White House adviser Ajay Jain Bhutoria slammed Jayapal for the letter to Rubio.

“India is the world's largest democracy with its own courts, free press and 900M+ voters. Congress has no business lecturing New Delhi on its internal affairs and undermines a vital US-India partnership. Focus on US problems,” Bhutoria, who was the adviser to former president Joe Biden, said on X.

The US lawmakers urged Rubio to press the Indian government to initiate thorough, transparent, and independent investigations of alleged human rights violations connected to the law enforcement response to protests.

They also wanted Rubio to encourage the release of any individuals detained in contravention of Indian and international law for peacefully exercising the rights to freedom of expression and assembly.

The US lawmakers also asked Rubio to thoroughly investigate reports that Indian diplomatic missions engaged in the surveillance and intimidation of protesters within the United States.

They urged the US government to assess whether India has engaged in a consistent pattern of acts of intimidation or harassment directed against individuals in the United States and is thus ineligible for arms sales under the Arms Export Control Act.