Washington: After External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar refused to meet Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, many, including top Democratic Senator Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, came out in support of Jayapal and decried the Indian leader's decision.
"It's wrong for any foreign government to tell Congress what members are allowed in meetings on Capitol Hill," Harris, the first US Senator of Indian origin and who dropped out of the Democratic presidential race early this month said in a tweet.
According to The Washington Post, Jaishankar "abruptly cancelled a meeting with senior members of Congress this week after US lawmakers refused demands to exclude" Jayapal from the meeting.
Jayapal, the first Indian-American women to be elected to the House of Representatives, had earlier introduced a Congressional resolution on Kashmir urging India to lift all restrictions imposed after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5. It also urges to preserve religious freedom for all the residents of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
In response, Jaishankar said the pending resolution in Kashmir introduced by Jayapal in the House is not a fair characterisation of the situation and what the government of India is doing.
India has defended the restrictions in Kashmir on the grounds that they were imposed to prevent Pakistan from creating more mischief through proxies and terrorists following the abrogation of Article 370 which ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Jayapal contested that the “Indian government isn't willing to listen to any dissent at all. The seriousness of this moment should've been a reason for a conversation, not dictating who's in the meeting, which seems very petty," Jayapal was quoted as saying by the leading American daily.
"We're rapidly entering a world where it's not only acceptable but encouraged for foreign governments to shun the president's domestic political opponents. This isn't a situation in which a coherent foreign policy can be developed," she said in another tweet on Friday.
"The US and India have an important partnership, but our partnership can only succeed if it is rooted in honest dialogue and shared respect for religious pluralism, democracy, and human rights," Elizabeth Warren tweeted
She also added that the “efforts to silence” Congresswomen Pramila Jayapal “are deeply troubling”.
Jaishankar is in the US alongside Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for the second India-US 2+2 dialogue with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark Esper.
The first 2+2 dialogue was held in New Delhi in September last year after the mechanism was approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Trump.
India and the US have asked Pakistan to take "immediate and irreversible action" to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorism against other countries and to prosecute the perpetrators of cross-border terror attacks, including Mumbai and Pathankot strikes.
India and Afghanistan accuse Pakistan of providing safe haven to the Afghan Taliban, Haqqani network and other militant groups which carry out attacks in the two countries.
(With inputs from agencies)