Washington, Oct. 18: Six US Democratic lawmakers have urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to raise concerns over the handling of student protests in India during his meetings with Indian officials.
In a letter dated October 16, the lawmakers alleged excessive force, wrongful detentions and restrictions on peaceful protests in Delhi and other parts of India. The appeal came ahead of Rubio’s planned meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during his India visit.
The letter was signed by Pramila Jayapal, Ilhan Omar, Jim McGovern, Rashida Tlaib, Eleanor Holmes Norton and Jesus Garcia. They called for concerns about protest rights and democratic freedoms to be raised with Indian authorities.
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The lawmakers also alleged that Indian diplomatic missions in the United States had deployed photographers to document protesters supporting the Cockroach Janata Party movement. That allegation has not been independently established in the reports reviewed.
India Protests | India Rejects Criticism as Interference
Indian Ambassador to the United States Vinay Mohan Kwatra criticised Jayapal’s remarks, describing them as unacceptable interference in India’s internal affairs. Political leader Ajay Jain Bhutoria also criticised the lawmakers’ intervention.
The dispute comes amid protests over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Critics have raised concerns about voter deletions, including a claim that around 13 crore names were removed. The figure and the circumstances behind the alleged deletions remain contested and should not be treated as an established finding.
Separately, India rejected claims by UN Special Rapporteur Gina Romero that young people face retaliation or stigma for speaking about mental health and gender equality.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly’s Third Committee, Indian diplomat Anuj Swarup described the allegations as based on anonymous and unverified submissions. He also defended India’s constitutional protections for freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
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The US lawmakers’ letter and the UN dispute have brought renewed international attention to questions surrounding protest rights and electoral processes in India. However, the allegations raised by the lawmakers and the UN expert remain disputed by Indian representatives
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