Sanders asks Biden to call out Modi, White House says 'will not lecture India on democracy'

Hours after senior Democrat leader Bernie Sanders urged US President Joe Biden to call out Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly cracking down on the press and civil society, the White House has responded.

US National Security Adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan said President Biden will not 'lecture' PM Modi on democracy. Sullivan said Washington will raise America'sconcerns in a way that does not come across as sanctimonious.

“We do so in a way where we don’t seek to lecture or assert that we don’t have challenges ourselves,” said Sullivan.

“Ultimately, the question of where politics and the question of democratic institutions go in India is going to be determined within India by Indians. It’s not going to be determined by the United States,” he added.

Sanders' tirade

Earlier, left-leaning Sanders in a tweet tirade saidPM Modi had been going after the minorities and requested Biden to raise the 'facts' during his meeting with the Indian leader.

“Prime Minister Modi's government has cracked down on the press and civil society, jailed political opponents, and pushed an aggressive Hindu nationalism that leaves little space for India's religious minorities. President Biden should raise these facts in his meeting with Modi,” Sanders tweeted.

Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar to boycott PM Modi's speech

Prior to Sanders, two Muslim congresswomen - Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib had announced theirdecision to boycott PM Modi's speech at the joint session of the US Congress on Thursday, saying the Indian government had repressed 'religious minorities'.

“It’s shameful that Modi has been given a platform at our nation’s capital—his long history of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, targeting Muslims & religious minorities, and censoring journalists is unacceptable. I will be boycotting Modi’s joint address to Congress," wrote Tlaib.

Meanwhile, Omar tweeted, "Prime Minister Modi’s government has repressed religious minorities, emboldened violent Hindu nationalist groups, and targeted journalists/human rights advocates with impunity. I will NOT be attending Modi’s speech."

Earlier, 75 Democrats, led by Senator Chris Van Hollen and Representative Pramila Jayapal had written a letter to Biden.

“As longtime supporters of a strong US-India relationship, we also believe that friends can and should discuss their differences in an honest and forthright way. That is why we respectfully request that — in addition to the many areas of shared interests between India and the US — you also raise directly with Prime Minister Modi areas of concern," read the letter.

PM Modi embarked upon his first state visit to the US on 21 June. He kicked off the visit by attending the historic Yoga Day celebrations outside UN Headquarters in New York. On Wednesday, President Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden received PM Modi at the White House for a private dinner.

The Indian PM will attend a state dinner on Thursday night, after addressing a joint session of Congress and holding a press conference with Biden.

(With inputs from agencies)

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