Over 70 U.S. Lawmakers Urge Biden to Discuss with Modi Human Rights Violations in India

Over 70 U.S. Lawmakers Urge Biden to Discuss with Modi Human Rights Violations in India

Since Biden has no respect for democracy and human rights, the U.S. voters should defeat him in the presidential election of 2024.

By Rakesh Raman

A slew of U.S. lawmakers have urged President Joe Biden to raise the issue of increasing human rights violations and attacks on democratic institutions by the Modi regime in India.

U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) led a bicameral letter with over 70 of their colleagues, urging Biden to discuss the need to protect human rights and democratic values in India.

Biden will be meeting with prime minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi who is visiting the U.S. In their letter dated June 20, 2023, the U.S. politicians assert that a series of independent, credible reports reflect troubling signs in India toward the shrinking of political space, the rise of religious intolerance, the targeting of civil society organizations and journalists, and growing restrictions on press freedoms and internet access. 

[ Also Read: Shameless Biden Ignores #ModiNotWelcome Protest Against Modi in the U.S. ]

A member of the U.S. House of Representatives – Rashida Tlaib – has decided to boycott Modi’s address to a joint sitting of the U.S. Congress.

“It’s shameful that Modi has been given a platform at our nation’s capital—his long history of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, targeting Muslims & religious minorities, and censoring journalists is unacceptable. I will be boycotting Modi’s joint address to Congress,” Rashida Tlaib tweeted on June 20.

It’s shameful that Modi has been given a platform at our nation’s capital—his long history of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, targeting Muslims & religious minorities, and censoring journalists is unacceptable.

I will be boycotting Modi’s joint address to Congress.

— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) June 20, 2023

Last year (2022), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) introduced a resolution to condemn human rights violations and violations of international religious freedom in India, including those targeting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Adivasis, and other religious and cultural minorities.

The resolution calls on the U.S. Secretary of State to designate India as a Country of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act, which has been recommended by the independent, bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for the past three years.  

“Prime Minister Modi’s government has repressed religious minorities, emboldened violent Hindu nationalist groups, and targeted journalists/human rights advocates with impunity. I will NOT be attending Modi’s speech,” Rep. Ilhan Omar also tweeted on June 21.

Prime Minister Modi’s government has repressed religious minorities, emboldened violent Hindu nationalist groups, and targeted journalists/human rights advocates with impunity.

I will NOT be attending Modi’s speech.

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) June 20, 2023

But all these protests by the U.S. politicians and others against Modi will not have any impact on Biden who is perhaps the most dishonest U.S. leader. Dozens of reports even by the U.S. government have warned of serious corruption and human rights abuses by Modi and his government in India.

However, dishonest Biden has ignored all the disturbing findings in those reports so that he could extort money from Modi by way of selling U.S. products and services in India.

I’m calling on @POTUS to urge Prime Minister Modi to uphold human rights and democratic values.

The U.S.-India relationship is vital and we must continue to strengthen it by having these forthright conversations. https://t.co/rpnO8QuuOe

— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) June 20, 2023

Meanwhile, a new microsite #ModiNotWelcome (Modi not welcome in the U.S.) describes the launch of a protest against Modi in the U.S. According to the microsite, this protest is against the leader (Modi) of the largest fascist movement in the world. A hashtag #ModiNotWelcome trended on Twitter.

The protesters urge the Biden administration not to have any alliance with India’s fascist regime under Modi. The microsite links to the “Howdy Modi!” website which complains that the U.S. welcomes human rights violator (Modi) with open arms.

Since Biden has no respect for democracy and human rights, the U.S. voters should defeat him in the presidential election of 2024.

By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of the humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society. He has also launched the “Power Play: Lok Sabha Election 2024 in India” editorial section to cover the news, events, and other developments related to the 2024 election.