AOC and 'Squad' Democrats planning to skip speech from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Several progressive Democrats from the "Squad" are boycotting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's deal with to a joint session of Congress on Thursday as human rights organizations proceed to sentence India's therapy of minorities and political opponents.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) tweeted on Wednesday afternoon that she would "encourage my colleagues who stand for pluralism, tolerance, and freedom of the press to affix me in doing the identical."

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"A joint deal with is among the many most prestigious invites and honors the USA Congress can lengthen," Ocasio-Cortez stated. "We must always not achieve this for people with deeply troubling human rights information — significantly for people whom our personal State Division has concluded are engaged in systematic human rights abuses of non secular minorities and caste-oppressed communities."

Ocasio-Cortez's feedback stem from accusations leveled at Modi's Bharatiya Janata Social gathering, which has allegedly discriminated in opposition to India's massive Muslim minority. Modi himself was accused in 2002 of being complicit in sectarian violence that resulted within the dying of 1,000 Muslims whereas he served as chief minister of Gujarat, in accordance with the Impartial.

Opponents and critics argue Modi allegedly stood by whereas Hindu mobs terrorized India's Muslim inhabitants as retaliation for the deaths of a Hindu pilgrim group. Nonetheless, Modi was later cleared by a workforce appointed by the Indian Supreme Courtroom.

Fellow "Squad" members Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who're Muslim, are becoming a member of Ocasio-Cortez in boycotting Modi's deal with.

Tlaib stated Congress giving Modi a platform was "shameful."

"His lengthy historical past of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, concentrating on Muslims & spiritual minorities, and censoring journalists is unacceptable," Tlaib tweeted. "I might be boycotting Modi's joint deal with to Congress."

"Prime Minister Modi's authorities has repressed spiritual minorities, emboldened violent Hindu nationalist teams, and focused journalists/human rights advocates with impunity," Omar echoed through Twitter. "I'll NOT be attending Modi's speech."

Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) will even not be in attendance on the joint session of Congress.

"Prime Minister Modi has a shameful historical past of committing human rights abuses, undermining democracy, and concentrating on journalists," Bush tweeted. "In solidarity with the communities which have been harmed by Modi and his insurance policies, I might be boycotting his joint deal with to Congress."

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-IV) known as on President Joe Biden to boost considerations about Modi's actions throughout his assembly with the prime minister.

"Prime Minister Modi's authorities has cracked down on the press and civil society, jailed political opponents, and pushed an aggressive Hindu nationalism that leaves little area for India's spiritual minorities," Sanders stated. "President Biden ought to elevate these info in his assembly with Modi."

The World Press Freedom Index measures India at 161, a excessive quantity for the world's largest democracy, because of the nation's "violence in opposition to journalists, the politically partisan media, and the focus of media possession." Modi has been in energy since 2014.