Kamala Harris Decries Jaishankar’s Decision of Not Meeting Jayapal
Kamala Harris decries Jaishankar’s decision of not meeting Jayapal
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Democratic Senator Kamala Harris on Friday 20 December 2019 came out in support of her fellow Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, with whom External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar refused to meet during his visit to the country early this week.
The Washington Post reports that Jaishankar refused to attend a meeting of House Foreign Affairs Committee, because Jayapal was also scheduled to be present in that meeting along with other lawmakers.
Earlier in the day, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and a leading Democratic presidential candidate came out in support of Jayapal.
Warren said the "efforts to silence" Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal "are deeply troubling".
Jayapal, the first Indian American women to be elected to the House of Representatives, has introduced a resolution in the House on Kashmir.
"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.
US Presidential Candidate and Senator Bernie Sanders also came out in support of Jayapal.
The pending resolution on Kashmir introduced by Jayapal in the House is not a fair characterisation of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told a group of Indian reporters on Thursday.
"I am aware of that (Congressional) resolution. I don't think it's a fair understanding of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir or a fair characterisation of what the government of India is doing. And I have no interest in meeting (Jayapal)," Jaishankar said when asked if he asked for a meeting with Jayapal.
(This story has been published in an arrangement with PTI)
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