Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and a group of six influential US lawmakers have written to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, forcing him to lift the issue of farmers’ protest in India with his Indian counterpart.
Earlier, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, “We have seen some ill-informed comments…relating to farmers in India. Such comments are unwarranted, especially when pertaining to the internal affairs of a democratic country.” In the letter, the group said, “Many Indian Americans are directly affected as they have family members and ancestral land in Punjab and are concerned about the well-being of their families in India. In view of this serious situation, we urge you to contact your Indian counterpart to reinforce the United States’ commitment to the freedom of political speech abroad.”
The lawmakers said, “As national legislators, we respect the right of the government of India to determine national policy, in compliance with existing law. We also acknowledge the rights of those in India and abroad who are currently protesting peacefully against agricultural laws that many Indian farmers see as an attack on their economic security.”
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