Rahul Gandhi's meeting with anti-India US lawmaker Ilan Omar sparks row; BJP questions 'desh virodh'
The BJP has strongly criticised Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for his meeting with Ilhan Omar, a US Congresswoman known for her critical stance against India.
 )
FollowIn a recent development that has intensified political tensions in India, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have strongly criticised Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for his meeting with Ilhan Omar, a US Congresswoman known for her critical stance against India. The BJP has condemned Gandhi's actions, accusing him of "working against India" and associating with anti-India elements during his unofficial tour of the United States.
The BJP's attack on Rahul Gandhi centres around his engagement with Ilhan Omar, a representative from Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. Omar, who is recognized for her vocal criticism of India's policies, has been involved in several controversies regarding her stance on India. During her tenure, she has introduced resolutions condemning India, opposed the abrogation of Article 370, and made statements critical of Indian policies and sovereignty.
BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya has expressed outrage over Gandhi's meeting with Omar, stating, "India’s Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi meets Ilhan Omar in the USA, a Pakistan sponsored anti-India voice, a radical Islamist and an advocate of independent Kashmir. Even Pakistani leaders would be more circumspect about being seen with such rabid elements. Congress is now openly working against India."
Shehzad Poonawala, another BJP leader, intensified the criticism by highlighting several key points. "After spewing venom against Sikhs & running down India on foreign soil now Rahul Gandhi meets & engages with anti India Ilhan Omar - 1) Ilhan had introduced anti India resolutions in US Congress 2) She has been against abrogation of Art 370 3) She violated India’s sovereignty & visited PoK on a trip sponsored by Pakistan 4) She met Imran Khan & other such elements to discuss “Islamophobia” in India 5) She has been instrumental in peddling hatred against Hindus," he wrote in a post on X.
"Why did Rahul Gandhi have to meet her? Why is he engaging with the most radical anti India elements on every foreign trip? In BJP virodh - desh virodh is ok?" he added.
Rahul Gandhi's unofficial US tour included meetings with several American lawmakers, including Congressman Bradley James Sherman, Congressman Jonathan Jackson, Congressman Ro Khanna, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congressman Shri Thanedar, Congressman Jesús G. 'Chuy' García, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Congressman Hank Johnson, and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. The trip aimed to strengthen ties with US political figures and engage in discussions on various global issues.
Who is Ilhan Omar?
Ilhan Omar represents Minnesota's 5th Congressional District in the US House of Representatives, encompassing Minneapolis and its surrounding suburbs. She began her tenure in January 2019, making history as the first African refugee to serve in Congress, the first woman of color to represent Minnesota, and one of the first two Muslim-American women elected to the US Congress. Born in Somalia, Omar and her family fled the civil war when she was eight, spending four years in a Kenyan refugee camp before relocating to the United States in the 1990s. They settled in Minneapolis in 1997.
Omar has gained attention for her critical statements about India on multiple occasions. Recently, amid diplomatic strains between India and Canada, she called for the US to fully support Canada's investigation into India's alleged involvement in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
In June 2022, Omar introduced a resolution in Congress condemning India for alleged human rights abuses, particularly against religious minorities such as Muslims. She urged the US State Department to designate India as a 'Country of Particular Concern'.
In April 2022, Omar advocated for a review of the US security alliance with India in the Indo-Pacific region and voted against a 2019 bill aimed at reducing the waiting period for Indians seeking permanent residency or Green Cards. Additionally, in October 2019, she opposed the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.
During the same month, Omar visited Pakistan, where she met with Shahbaz Sharif and Imran Khan and traveled to Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). India condemned her PoK visit as 'narrow-minded politics'. Following this trip, Omar introduced a resolution in Congress criticising India, and it was later revealed that her visit had been sponsored by the Pakistani government.
