US congressman Ro Khanna has said he has firmly opposed Hindu nationalism, after a US-based academic called on him to state his position on Indian politics and the Modi government.
Gaurav Sabnis made the call in a recent post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. Khanna replied that he has strongly opposed Hindu nationalism and has praised students who took to the streets against corruption and for an inclusive society.
In his post, Sabnis wrote that although Khanna presents himself as a progressive politician, he has stayed silent on political imprisonment and the shrinking of minority rights in India under the Modi government. He asked Khanna to make clear where he stands on Hindutva, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Modi government.
Khanna wrote in reply: “I have unequivocally condemned Hindu nationalism and applauded the students speaking out on the streets against corruption and for inclusion. My grandfather was part of Mahatma Gandhi’s independence movement. I believe in the pluralist ideals of Gandhi and Nehru.”
Khanna is one of the influential progressive voices in US politics. He represents California’s 17th congressional district, which covers part of Silicon Valley. He was first elected to Congress in 2016, and in the 2020 US presidential election he served as a co-chair of Bernie Sanders’ campaign.
In the recent midterm elections, Khanna won a sixth term in Congress, defeating Republican rival and businessman Ritesh Tandon by more than 42,000 votes.
The report also said the Democrats, on the back of a big win in the midterms, have taken control of both chambers of Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate. Many see the shift as the start of US politics after Donald Trump.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report