United States Democratic Senators Bob Menendez and Chuck Schumer on Thursday urged Secretary of State Antony Blinken to engage with the Nar...
United States Democratic Senators Bob Menendez and Chuck Schumer on Thursday urged Secretary of State Antony Blinken to engage with the Narendra Modi government about the treatment of farmers protesting against the agricultural laws in India, PTI reported.
In a letter to Blinken, the US lawmakers asked him to raise the importance of freedom of speech and the right to peaceful protest in conversations with his Indian counterparts. They also asked him to ensure that State Department officials do this too at all levels.
Menendez, chairperson of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote a similar letter to Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, who is scheduled to visit India between March 19 and March 21. He said on Wednesday that the crackdown on protesting farmers and intimidation of journalists “only underscores the deteriorating situation of democracy” in India.
“India is a long-term strategic partner with deep ties to the United States thanks to our many shared values and our large and valued Indian American community,” Menendez and Schumer wrote in their joint letter to Blinken. “In light of these shared values and strong connections, we write with serious concern regarding the response of the Indian government to the farmer protests.”
Tens of thousands of farmers have camped out on the outskirts of New...
