Underlining his commitment to pluralism, visiting US Congressman Ro Khanna said on Thursday he stands strongly for his values. He made these remarks after meeting with Mahatma Gandhi’s great grandson Tushar Gandhi, a group from Manipur and from violence-hit Haryana besides defence analyst Abhijeet Iyer-Mitra.
Khanna led a bipartisan US Congressional delegation which met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar here on Wednesday. The delegation also attended Prime Minister Modi’s address to the nation on the occasion of Independence Day from the ramparts of Red Fort on Tuesday.
“I am happy that elected members of the US Congress are present here today on the occasion of our celebration,” Modi said in his Independence Day address. “Glad to receive a Congressional delegation from the US, including co-chairs of India Caucus in the House of Representatives, Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep Michael Waltz,” Modi wrote on X after his meeting with the Congressional delegation. Modi said strong bipartisan support from the US Congress was instrumental in further elevating India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
Defending his interactions with a cross-section of people in India, Democrat Congressman Khanna said he stands for pluralism and the human rights of the minority, including Muslims.
He said this after meeting Mitra and Indian American Muslim Council reportedly criticising him for interacting with him. The Council said Iyer-Mitra promotes hate and labels Muslim-American politicians like Ilhan Omar as ‘terrorists’. “I unequivocally stand for pluralism and the human rights of minority populations, including Muslims, whether in India or America. My positions are well known. And I firmly stand by my values no matter who I meet with and am proud to convey them,” he said.