Rashida Tlaib to Boycott Indian PM Modi's Address to Congress: 'Shameful'

Representative Rashida Tlaib vowed to boycott Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to Congress this week, ripping leadership's "shameful" decision to offer him a platform.

President Joe Biden is set to welcome Modi to the White House for a state visit aimed at strengthening ties between the U.S. and India, a growing superpower and economic powerhouse in southern Asia that could provide Washington an ally amid a strained relationship with China. The visit is set to begin on Thursday, when Modi will deliver an address to a joint session of Congress.

Modi's visit is facing scrutiny from progressive Democrats. He has long faced accusations of violating human rights, particularly for the country's Muslim citizens by revoking the majority-Muslim Kashmir region's special autonomous status in 2019. He has since imposed internet blackouts and a curfew on the region

Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat who is among the most progressive lawmakers in the House, said Tuesday that she plans to boycott his speech, raising concerns about a number of alleged "human rights abuses" conducted by Modi's administration. The U.S. Department of State found "significant human rights" violations, including extrajudicial killings by the government, torture, unjustified arrests of journalists, and restrictions on freedom of expression in its annual report on human rights practices released in March.

"It's shameful that Modi has been given a platform at our nation's capital—his long history of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, targeting Muslims & religious minorities, and censoring journalists is unacceptable. I will be boycotting Modi's joint address to Congress," Tlaib tweeted.

More than 70 Democratic members of Congress wrote a letter to Biden urging him to emphasize human rights when meeting with Modi. The letter was led by Representative Pramila Jayapal, the Washington Democrat who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland.

In the letter, the lawmakers urged Biden to "raise directly with Prime Minister Modi areas of concern." They noted they would like to see a "warm relationship" with India but raised concerns about a flurry of human rights issues in the country.

"You have rightly said that America must 'lead not merely by the example of our power but by the power of our example.' You have once again made respect for human rights, press freedom, religious freedom, and pluralism core tenets of American foreign policy," they wrote.

"Moreover, these tenets are necessary to the functioning of true democracy. In order to advance these values with credibility on the world stage, we must apply them equally to friend and foe alike, just as we work to apply these same principles here in the United States."

When reached by Newsweek for further comment, Tlaib's office referred to her tweet.

Biden and Modi are expected to make announcements regarding new cooperation in higher education, space and defense amid recent flareups in tensions in southeast Asia surrounding Taiwanese independence, according to the Associated Press.

The meeting comes at a critical point for U.S. relations as Biden seeks to deepen cooperation with India. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the U.S. and India are "complicated countries" ahead of Modi's visit, according to AP.

"We certainly have work to do to advance transparency, to promote market access, to strengthen our democracies, to unleash the full potential of our people," Blinken said. "But the trajectory of this partnership is unmistakable, and it is filled with promise."