US Senators Urge Biden To Raise Rights Issue With PM Modi, Two To Boycott Modi’s Speech

In a letter, 75 of President Joe Biden's fellow Democrats have urged him to raise human rights issues with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Washington, Reuters reported.

The U.S. lawmakers have raised concerns about religious intolerance, press freedom, internet shutdowns and the targeting of civil society groups in India.

In the letter, the senators have said they want a "close and warm relationship" between the people of the two countries but "friends can and should discuss their differences in an honest and forthright way".

Meanwhile, two members of the American House of Representatives, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, took to Twitter to announce their decision to boycott the prime minister’s address to the US Congress on Thursday.

Boycotting the address, Tlaib said that it is shameful that Modi is being given a platform, keeping in view his “long history of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, targeting Muslims and religious minorities, and censoring journalists”.

Omar also took to Twitter to announce her decision of boycotting the address, saying, “Modi’s government has repressed religious minorities, emboldened violent Hindu nationalist groups, and targeted journalists/human rights advocates with impunity”.