Main headline: US Democrats Urge Marco Rubio to Raise Protest Crackdown Concerns with India Alternative headline: Pramila Jayapal, Ilhan Omar Among Six US Lawmakers Raising Human Rights Concerns Over India Short headline: US Lawmakers Raise Concerns Over Protests in India

WASHINGTON: Six Democratic lawmakers in the United States have urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to raise concerns with Indian officials over alleged excessive use of force, wrongful detention and restrictions on freedom of expression during student protests in Delhi and other parts of India.

The lawmakers — Pramila Jayapal, Ilhan Omar, Jim McGovern, Rashida Tlaib, Eleanor Holmes Norton and Jesus Garcia — made the appeal in a letter to Rubio on Friday, ahead of his planned visit to India next week. Rubio is scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Mumbai, according to the report.

In their letter, the lawmakers alleged a pattern of repression and excessive force by security personnel during protests. They cited demonstrations against then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and ongoing protests seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as examples of incidents requiring scrutiny.

The lawmakers also expressed concern over reports that Indian diplomatic missions in the United States had deployed photographers to monitor demonstrations. They called for a thorough investigation into allegations of surveillance and intimidation of protesters on American soil.

The letter also referred to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in India. Jayapal raised concerns over the alleged removal of 130 million voters from draft electoral rolls, a claim that would require verification against official election data.

The lawmakers urged Rubio to press the Indian government to conduct thorough, transparent and independent investigations into alleged human rights violations associated with law enforcement responses to protests. They also called for the release of individuals they said may have been detained unlawfully while peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly.

Additionally, the lawmakers asked the US government to assess allegations of intimidation or harassment by Indian diplomatic missions in the United States and examine whether any established pattern of such conduct could affect eligibility for arms sales under the US Arms Export Control Act.

India's Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, had previously criticised Jayapal's remarks, describing them as unacceptable interference in India's internal affairs.

Meanwhile, Ajay Jain Bhutoria, a Democratic leader and former adviser to President Joe Biden, criticised the lawmakers' letter. In a post on X, he argued that India has its own democratic institutions, courts, a free press and a large electorate, and said US lawmakers should focus on domestic issues rather than lecture New Delhi.

The issue highlights continuing differences over human rights, democratic freedoms and the handling of protests, as Washington and New Delhi seek to maintain their broader bilateral relationship.

Note: The allegations and figures mentioned above are attributed to the supplied report and the lawmakers' letter. They should not be treated as independently verified findings.