Sharad Pawar questions silence of Rajnath Singh, Jaishankar over Blinken's remarks on 'abuses in India'

Sharad Pawar. File Pic

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar has questioned the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for not rebutting United State Secretary of State Antony Blinken's remarks on 'human rights abuses' in India, at a joint presser in the US.

Earlier on Monday, Blinken said the United States was monitoring what he described as a rise in "human rights abuses" in India by some officials, in a rare direct rebuke by Washington of New Delhi.

"We regularly engage with our Indian partners on these shared values (of human rights) and to that end, we are monitoring some recent concerning developments in India including a rise in human rights abuses by some government, police and prison officials," Mr Blinken said on Monday in a joint press briefing with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Jaishankar and Singh.

"Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and EAM S Jaishankar were present there, they should have commented. Instead, they stayed silent," said Pawar during a press conference in Mumbai.

Mr Blinken did not elaborate, while Mr Singh and Mr Jaishankar, who spoke after Blinken at the briefing, did not comment on the human rights issue, said a statement by the NCP.

"Talking about the problems of the country brings disrepute to the country. If something wrong is happening in the country, then it should be stopped rather than talking about it in front of others, " added Pawar.

Blinken's remarks came days after US Representative llhan Omar questioned the alleged reluctance of the US government to criticize Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government on human rights.

"What does Modi need to do to India's Muslim population before we will stop considering them a partner in peace?" Ms Omar, who belongs to President Joe Biden's Democratic Party, said last week.

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