U.S. lawmakers ask Marco Rubio to question India on student protests and surveillance

Six U.S. Democratic lawmakers have urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to raise concerns about the handling of student protests during his upcoming visit to India.

The Letter

Lawmakers Pramila Jayapal, Ilhan Omar, Jim McGovern, Rashida Tlaib, Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Jesus Garcia sent a letter to Mr. Rubio on Friday. They pointed to a pattern of repression, wrongful detention, and excessive force by security forces during student protests in Delhi and other parts of India. The letter cited protests against former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and ongoing demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Ms. Jayapal also expressed concern over the removal of 130 million voters from draft electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision and backed the Cockroach Janata Party. The congresspersons accused Indian diplomatic missions in the U.S. of using photographers to watch and intimidate protesters.

Reactions

India's Ambassador to the U.S., Vinay Mohan Kwatra, criticized Ms. Jayapal's remarks as unacceptable interference in India's internal affairs. Ajay Jain Bhutoria, a Democratic leader and former White House adviser, also condemned the letter on X, stating that the U.S. Congress should not lecture New Delhi and that India has its own courts, free press, and over 900 million voters.

Demands

The lawmakers want Mr. Rubio to press the Indian government to launch transparent and independent investigations into human rights violations linked to the protests. They also asked him to push for the release of people detained for peaceful expression, investigate reports of Indian diplomatic missions spying on protesters in the U.S., and assess whether India should be blocked from U.S. arms sales under the Arms Export Control Act.

Context

U.S. officials frequently engage in diplomatic discussions regarding human rights and democratic norms with partner nations during official visits. Diplomatic missions abroad are bound by international laws and host country regulations regarding the monitoring of local activities.