Discussions on human rights will be on the agenda when a high-powered delegation of U.S. members of Congress visits Delhi next week, indicated a group of India-focused civil rights groups that met with U.S. congressman Ro Khanna, who is leading the delegation.
Mr. Khanna, who met with representatives of a “coalition of Indian-American organisations” including Hindus for Human Rights, the Indian-American Muslim Council, and India Civil Watch International in Washington, reportedly “expressed his desire to protect minority rights in India”. Earlier this year, Mr. Khanna had faced a controversy over his criticism of the expulsion of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi as Lok Sabha member.
This week, Mr. Khanna announced that he would lead a bipartisan congressional delegation to India that had been invited to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s annual Independence Day speech at the Red Fort on August 15. During the visit, the delegation will meet PM Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and other Ministers. Mr. Khanna, who is seen as a leading “progressive Democrat”, was earlier a member of the Congressional Pakistan Caucus in 2019, and is now the first Indian-American to co-chair the U.S. Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, along with Republican Congressman Michael Waltz.
