Hirsh Vardhan Singh announces 2024 presidential bid
becomes 3rd Indian-American to join crowded Republican Party hopefuls
Washington, Jul 29: Hirsh Vardhan Singh, an Indian-American engineer, has announced his bid for the White House, becoming the third person of Indian descent after Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy to join the crowded Republican field of candidates vying to become US President in 2024.
In a video message posted on Twitter, Singh, 38, said that he is a "lifelong Republican" and "America First" conservative who worked to restore a conservative wing of the New Jersey Republican Party.
"We need strong leadership to reverse the changes that have occurred in the past few years and restore American values. That is why I have decided to seek the Republican Party's nomination for the 2024 election for the office of president of the United States," Singh said on Friday in a 3-minute video.
He officially filed his candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday, reported The Hill newspaper on Friday.
Prior to Singh, former South Carolina Governor Haley, 51, and millionaire entrepreneur Ramaswamy, 37, announced their candidacy from the Republican Party for the top US post earlier this year.
They will contest against former US president Donald Trump, who is leading in the race for the Republican Party's nomination for 2024 despite the legal challenges he is facing.
Republicans will meet in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from July 15-18, 2024, for their national convention to formally select their party's next presidential nominee.
Singh also called himself the "only pureblood candidate" because he "never gave in to the COVID vaccinations."
He ran in the Republican primaries for governor of New Jersey in 2017 and 2021, for a House seat in 2018 and for Senate in 2020 but was unsuccessful in winning the Republican Party's nomination, the report said.
In his most recent run for governor, he campaigned as a more conservative option more closely aligned with former president Trump than the eventual nominee, Jack Ciattarelli, but he came in third for the nomination.
Singh is one of several long-shot candidates in the race, including former Cranston, Rhode Island, Mayor Steve Laffey, Michigan businessman Perry Johnson and Texas pastor Ryan Binkley, it said.
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Congress voices concern over safety of minorities in Bangladesh
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Wednesday expressed deep concern over the "atmosphere of insecurity" being faced by religious minorities in Bangladesh and the arrest of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das.
In a statement, Chairman of the party's Media and Publicity Department Pawan Khera said, "The Indian National Congress expects the government of India to prevail upon the Bangladesh government to take necessary steps and ensure security of life and property of minorities in the country".
"The Indian National Congress expresses its deep concern at the atmosphere of insecurity being faced by religious minorities in Bangladesh. The arrest of the ISCKON monk is the latest example," he said.
A lawyer was killed on Tuesday during clashes between security personnel and followers of Das, who was denied bail and sent to jail by a court in the port city of Chattogram in Bangladesh in a sedition case.
Das, the spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka a day earlier.
India on Tuesday noted with "deep concern" the arrest and denial of bail to the Hindu leader, and urged authorities in the neighbouring country to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all other minority groups.
Bangladesh reacted sharply to the Ministry of External Affairs statement, saying it was unfounded and stood contrary to the spirit of friendship between the two countries.
In its statement, Dhaka said it does not interfere with the country's judiciary, which is fully independent
