Six U.S. Democratic lawmakers, including Pramila Jayapal and Ilhan Omar, have urged U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to raise with his Indian interlocutors the alleged excessive use of force during student protests in Delhi and other parts of India.
In their letter,the lawmakers cited the CJP protests against then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the ongoing demonstrations seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as examples of alleged use of excessive forces against protesters. The U.S. lawmakers urged Mr. Rubio to press the Indian government to initiate thorough, transparent, and independent investigations of alleged human rights violations connected to the law enforcement response to protests. They urged the U.S. government to assess whether India has engaged in a consistent pattern of acts of intimidation or harassment directed against individuals in the United States and is thus ineligible for arms sales under the Arms Export Control Act.
Rubio on Friday (October 17, 2026). Mr. Rubio is visiting India next week and meeting External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Mumbai. “India is the world’s largest democracy with its own courts, free press and 900M+ voters. Congress has no business lecturing New Delhi on its internal affairs and undermines a vital U.S.-India partnership. Focus on U.S. problems,” Mr.
“We write with concern regarding a pattern of repression, wrongful detention, and excessive use of force by security forces during student protests in Delhi and other localities across India,” the congresspersons said in a letter to Mr. “The free exercise of fundamental freedoms and the right to vote is core to the democratic identities of both the United States and India,” the lawmakers said. “We ask that you use the occasion of your visit to raise these issues of great mutual concern to our two peoples,” they said. Bhutoria, who was the adviser to former President Joe Biden, said on X.
