17 Civil society organisations urge President Biden to reconsider dinner invitation to PM Modi
PM Modi’s US state visit
Washington DC: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will be on his first official state visit to the United States from June 21 to 24, following an invitation extended by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, will also be part of dinner hosted by the US President and First lady on June 22 to honour the Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, at least 17 civil society organisations have expressed displeasure over the US president hosting a dinner for the Indian PM and have urged the US President Joe Biden to cancel the dinner invitation to the Indian PM.
According to a report in the Indian American Muslim Council’s (IAMC) official website a coalition of 17 civil rights organisations, including the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), Hindus for Human Rights , Dalit Solidarity Inc., Genocide Watch and others have released an open letter urging President Joe Biden to reconsider his decision to extend a state dinner invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, due to the steep decline of democratic values and the continuous violation of human rights against minority communities under his regime.
As per the report, In the letter the organisations voice their apprehensions about the involvement of the Modi administration in fostering Hindu extremist mob violence, hate crimes, and hate speech, with a particular focus on the Muslim and Christian communities. They further underscore the enforcement of biased laws designed to curtail the rights of minority groups, hinder religious conversions and interfaith marriages, and curtail freedom of expression, dissent, and assembly., read the report.
Quoting the letter, the report on the IAMC read as follows, “The invitation to Modi as a state guest signals that the US supports India’s crackdown on fundamental democratic rights and emboldens the Modi administration to intensify its anti-democratic agenda,” the letter stated.
In a press statement, Indian American Muslim Council called PM Modi a champion of “Hindutva, a radical-nazi inspired ideology.” The IAMC also highlighted the gesture of inviting Modi for a dinner as an indication of the United States support towards India’s downslide of democracy.
At the same time, researcher and columnist Ashok Swain took to twitter expressing dismay over dinner invitation by Biden wrote, “Biden talks of promoting democracy, but breaks bread with dictators, who destroy democracies! 17 civil society organisations ask Biden to cancel the dinner invitation to Modi.”
Accordingly, 17 organisations namely, Indian American Muslim Council, Hindus for Human Rights, Dalit Solidarity Inc. , World Without Genocide, Intl Defenders Council , Intl Society for Peace and Justice, Genocide Watch, Jubilee Campaign, Asian Children's Education Fellowship, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR, Misión Vida para las Naciones, Church in the Republic of Uruguay, Global Christian Relief, American Sikh Council, Human Rights and Grassroots Development Society, Intl Commission for Dalit Rights, American Muslim Institute, have signed the letter and have urged the US president to reconsider dinner invitation extended to Indian PM Modi.
Biden talks of promoting democracy, but breaks bread with dictators, who destroy democracies!
— Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) June 8, 2023
17 civil society organizations ask Biden to cancel the dinner invitation to Modi.
1. Indian American Muslim Council
2. Hindus for Human Rights
3. Dalit Solidarity Inc.
4. World Without…
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Delhi: Boy stabbed to death over 'controversial' social media comments, 2 juveniles held
New Delhi (PTI): A 16-year-old boy was stabbed to death at Ramleela ground in northwest Delhi for allegedly making social media comments that police described as "controversial", an official said on Wednesday.
According to the police, the assailants, also minors, attacked him with a knife, inflicting multiple stab wounds.
"A PCR call was received in the Shalimar Bagh Police Station regarding an injured boy lying in Ramleela ground. The police team reached the spot and found him with multiple stab wounds," a police officer said.
He was working as a labourer in a banquet hall for the last two days, the officer said. An FIR was registered and the police apprehended two juveniles in the case.
Preliminary investigation reveals that the deceased was stabbed due to an ongoing enmity, the officer said.
During questioning, the accused told the police that the victim had made "controversial comments" against them on social media. Following which, they intercepted him at Ramleela ground and stabbed him. He died on the spot, officer said.
"We have recovered a dagger and the victim's mobile phone. Further investigation in the case is underway," he added.
