Indian-American Lawmakers Endorses India’s Swift Response to Pakistan Tensions…reports Asian Lite News
On Wednesday, one US lawmaker of Indian descent urged Pakistan not to exploit the ongoing tensions with India as an excuse to further erode democracy, while another strongly endorsed India’s retaliatory strikes carried out earlier that day
“In the wake of last month’s horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the need to combat terrorism and prevent future violence has become even more urgent. As Secretary Rubio stated, it is essential to avoid broader conflict and further escalation,” Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is of Indian descent, said, adding, “At the same time, Pakistan must release former Prime Minister Imran Khan and ensure free and fair elections that uphold democratic values and give voice to the will of the Pakistani people. The current situation should not be used as a pretext to further undermine democracy in Pakistan.”
Meanwhile, Shri Thanedar, the second Indian-descent lawmaker, said, “Terrorism cannot be tolerated, and it cannot go unanswered. India has the right to defend its people, and I stand firmly with our ally in its efforts to dismantle these extremist networks.”
He further said: “The United States should always stand with our allies against terrorism. This is a time for deeper US-India cooperation to confront shared threats, protect innocent lives, and defend the principles of democracy, human rights, and religious freedom.”
Both Krishnamoorthi and Thanedar are members of the Democratic party and hail from Illinois and Michigan states respectively. There are two out five members of the House of Representatives of Indian descent, together called the Samosa Caucus — the other three are Ami Bera, Ro Khanna and Pramila Jayapal.
Krishnamoorthi, who on Wednesday announced he is running for US senate, was referring to Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statement on Tuesday. “I am monitoring the situation between India and Pakistan closely,” Rubio had said. “I echo POTUS’s comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution.”
