"Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has targeted and even adopted laws to explicitly discriminate against religious minorities. This includes the anti-Muslim citizenship law and a purge of Muslim citizens in the Indian state of Assam."
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Democratic Party Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, the two Muslim women in the US Congress, boycotted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s joint address to the Congress.
Tlaib took to Twitter saying: “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.” Tlaib added that she would boycott the address.
Hours later, Omar took to Twitter and criticised Prime Minister Modi and said his government has repressed religious minorities, emboldened violent Hindu nationalist groups, and targeted journalists/human rights advocates with impunity, media reports said.
Following Modi’s address, Omar will also be hosting an event at the Capitol with human rights experts, religious freedom leaders and other members of Congress on Indian policy issues.
A group of more than 70 Democrats from both the House and the Senate earlier asked President Joe Biden to make human rights the focus of his discussion with Modi during his visit.
The State Department’s 2022 religious freedom report also highlighted significant human rights issues including credible reports of unlawful and arbitrary killings and extrajudicial killings by the government or its agents.
A US panel also recommended that the State Department designate India among others as “countries of particular concern” for violating religious freedoms.
Ahead of Modi’s address to the Congress, Omar said: “What is happening in India runs directly counter to our democratic values. Under Prime Minister Modi, the government has targeted and even adopted laws to explicitly discriminate against religious minorities. This includes the anti-Muslim citizenship law and a purge of Muzslim citizens in the Indian state of Assam. It includes the government rescinding the autonomy of the majority-Muslim region of Kashmir, shutting off their communication and illegally detaining dissidents.
“It includes a civil liberties crackdown and forced internet blackout for over 25 million people in the Sikh-majority region of Punjab, especially concerning given the mass killings of Sikhs in India that occurred less than 40 years ago. And it includes a current round of violence in Northeast India — including the burning of churches and synagogues and the killing of Christian and Jewish citizens by mobs. Violence against Muslim, Christian, Sikh and Jewish minorities is rampant and police routinely overlook attacks committed by BJP supporters.
“Dissidents, journalists, and their families are targeted with violence and political persecution. Even advocates outside of India fear that their family members will be targeted if they speak out.”
