Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, on an unofficial US tour, met Congresswoman Ilhan Omar who is known for her anti-India stance and opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The LoP met several US 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.
Who Is Ilhan Omar?
Ilhan Omar serves as the representative for Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District in the US House of Representatives, covering Minneapolis and nearby suburbs. She assumed office in January 2019, becoming the first African refugee to join Congress, the first woman of colour to represent Minnesota, and one of the first two Muslim-American women elected to the U.S. Congress. Born in Somalia, Omar and her family fled the country’s civil war when she was eight years old, spending four years in a Kenyan refugee camp before relocating to the United States in the 1990s. In 1997, her family settled in Minneapolis.
Shri @RahulGandhi met with U.S. lawmakers at the Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
Attendees:
Hosted by Congressman Bradley James Sherman
Congressman Jonathan Jackson
Congressman Ro Khanna
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi
Congresswoman Barbara Lee… pic.twitter.com/zVUJz5VmrW
— Congress (@INCIndia) September 10, 2024
Ilhan Omar’s Anti-India Stance
Ilhan Omar made headlines by issuing statements critical of India on several occasions. Recently, amid diplomatic tensions between India and Canada, Ilhan Omar stated that the US should fully support Canada’s investigation into India’s alleged role in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
In June 2022, Omar introduced a resolution in the US Congress that criticized India for alleged human rights abuses, particularly targeting religious minorities such as Muslims. She called for the U.S. State Department to designate India as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’.
In April 2022, Omar called for the U.S. to review its security alliance with India in the Indo-Pacific region. She also voted against a 2019 bill to reduce the waiting period for Indians seeking permanent residency or Green Cards. Additionally, in October 2019, Omar expressed her opposition to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.
In April 2022, Ilhan Omar visited Pakistan, where she met with Shahbaz Sharif and Imran Khan, and later travelled to Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). India strongly objected to her visit to PoK, labelling it ‘narrow-minded politics’. Two months after this trip, Omar introduced a resolution in Congress condemning India. A later report revealed that her visit was sponsored by the Pakistani government.
BJP Hits Back
The BJP slammed Rahul Gandhi during the meeting. “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,” said BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala.
The BJP leader said, “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?”
