WASHINGTON: India faces an embarassing snub from US Senators ahead ofcrucial visit of President Trump to New Delhi.
Ahead of US President Donald Trump’s India visit later this month, four topUS senators have expressed concern about the continued curbs on internet inIndian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) and detention of political leaders.
The concern has been expressed by the senators in their letter to the USSecretary of State Mike Pompeo. In their letter, the senators alsoexpressed concern over the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)that triggered protests across India.
The letter by the senators — two Democrats and two Republicans — saysthat the Indian government continues to block most internet in the regionand India has now imposed the longest ever internet shutdown by a democracydisrupting access to medical care, business and education for 7 millionpeople.
India suspended the Internet services in occupied Kashmir on August 5 2019when it revoked the Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that grantedspecial status to the territory.
Hundreds of Kashmiris remain in preventive detention including keypolitical figures, the letter to Mike Pompeo states.
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The senators said these actions have severe consequences. DonaldTrump andMelania Trump will arrive for a two-day India visit on February 24. Theywill begin their visit with an event in Ahmedabad in Prime MinisterNarendra Modi’s home state Gujarat.
Among the four senators who wrote the letter is Lindsey Graham who is veryclose to Donald Trump.
The Indian government has taken other troubling steps that threaten therights of certain religious minorities and the secular character of thestate. This includes the passage of the controversial Citizenship AmendmentAct, the senators say.
The letter demands an assessment by the US government within 30 days of thenumber of Kashmiris detained by the Indian government for politicalpurposes after revocation of Article 370.
