NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday met the US Congressional delegation, amid rumours that the latter were not allowed to meet other political leaders.
“We had a good interaction with the US Congressional delegation today and we are glad they joined us for Independence Day. We discussed the transformation underway in India, especially its outcomes of better governance,” said Jaishankar after meeting the delegation.
The delegation was led by US Congressmen Ro Khanna and Michael Waltz, along with six others. They attended the Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort. Khanna and Waltz are co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans. This was the first time a US delegation attended the celebrations on August 15.
“We also exchanged our views on advancing bilateral partnership. We share perspectives on the global situation and our collaboration on multilateral, regional and global issues,” Dr Jaishankar added.
Meanwhile, there were reports that suggested that Khanna was not allowed to meet a certain segment of politicians while he was in Delhi. This issue came to light when reports suggested that Khanna had said he would meet politicians that would be facilitated by the MEA. Both MEA and Khanna refrained from making any comments on the topic.
However, Khanna did say that one should not shy away from debates. “I am often criticised for speaking with people I disagree with. But I continue to think we should not shy away from debates and opportunities to engage with people who have different ideologies. My core values have never been changed as a result of meeting people,” he tweeted.
Khanna had earlier said that he believed both the US and India are important democracies that have moved towards becoming even better democracies. “That means recognising pluralism, recognising minority rights, making sure that every person is treated with equality,” he had said.