Pramila Jayapal, Ilhan Omar Lead 6 US Democrats In Urging Marco Rubio To Raise Alleged Crackdown On Student Protests & Human Rights Concerns In India

Six US Democratic lawmakers, including Pramila Jayapal and Ilhan Omar, urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to bring up alleged excessive use of force during student protests in India with his Indian counterparts during their upcoming visit. The congresspersons cited concerns over repression, wrongful detention, and excessive force by security forces during demonstrations supporting the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and other political groups.

The lawmakers expressed worry over the "purge" of 130 million voters from India's electoral rolls and supported the CJP's protests. They emphasized that both the US and India, as world's largest democracies, have an obligation to promote and defend the rights to freedom of assembly and expression.

The lawmakers wrote to Rubio, urging him to prioritize these freedoms and human rights when meeting with Indian officials. They asked Rubio to raise these issues of great mutual concern between the two nations during his visit to India, where he is scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Mumbai.

In their letter, the lawmakers also called for thorough, transparent, and independent investigations into alleged human rights violations by Indian law enforcement during the protests, as well as an assessment of whether India has engaged in a consistent pattern of intimidation or harassment against individuals in the United States. They urged the US government to consider whether India is ineligible for arms sales under the Arms Export Control Act based on such allegations.