While Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued his official visit to the White House, hundreds of Indian Americans gathered outside it to protest the persecution of minorities under his regime.
The protest, organized by a collective of civil rights and interfaith organizations called the ‘Coalition for Reclaiming Indian Democracy’, aimed to raise awareness about the deteriorating state of democracy in the country, according to a statement.
Earlier, Modi was part of a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden.
Answering a US journalist’s question on steps taken by his government to improve the rights of minorities in India and uphold free speech, he said that there was no question of discrimination in India on the grounds of caste or religion because his government follows the Constitution.
The protest outside the White House was attended by people from diverse religious backgrounds, the Coalition for Reclaiming Indian Democracy said.
One of the speakers, Lien Gangte, a senior Leader of the North American Manipur Tribal Association spoke about the recent ethnic violence in Manipur. He added that the PM has been silent on the isssue, calling it “ethnic cleansing, pure and simple.”
Akashi Bhatt, daughter of imprisoned former Indian IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt also addresed the protestors, talking about the need to raise a unified voice against the PM.
Other prominent activists and victims of human abuse in the country also addressed the gathering, according to the statement.
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Abhishek Manikandan | 
