The Indian Panorama

Tag: Indian American Lawmakers

  • Four Democratic Indian American Lawmakers of “Samosa Caucus” Re-Elected to US House of Representatives

    Four Democratic Indian American Lawmakers of “Samosa Caucus” Re-Elected to US House of Representatives

    WASHINGTON  (TIP): In an impressive show, all the four Indian American Democratic lawmakers – Dr Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna and Raja Krishnamoorthi – have been re-elected to the US House of Representatives.

    The Indian American community has emerged as a force to reckon with for the first time in the history of the US presidential election. Both the Democrat and the Republican campaigns had initiated several measures to woo the approximately 1.8 million members of the community who have emerged as a critical voting bloc in the battleground states of Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas.The ‘Samosa caucus’ currently comprises five Indian American lawmakers, including the four members of the House of Representatives and Senator and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris, 56.

    Raja Krishnamoorthi, 47, easily defeated Preston Nelson, 30, of the Libertarian Party. When last reports came in, he had accounted for nearly 71 per cent of the total votes counted.

    Ro Khanna, 44, easily defeated fellow Indian-American Ritesh Tandon, 48, of the Republican Party with a margin of more than 50 percentage points. This was his third-consecutive win from the 17th Congressional district of California. Dr Ami Bera, 55, the senior most member of the ‘Samosa Caucus’, won the seventh Congressional District of California for the fifth consecutive term. When the last report came in, he had established an inaccessible lead by more than 25 percentage points against his Republican rival 65-year-old Buzz Patterson. The House of Representatives is the lower house of the US Congress, with the Senate being the upper house.

  • Indian Americans make a splash in yet another election cycle

    Indian Americans make a splash in yet another election cycle

    NEW YORK (TIP): Besides the four member ‘Samosa Caucus’ of Indian American lawmakers re-elected to the US House of Representatives, over a dozen others, including five women have won state level elections scoring a few firsts for the community.

    Among the five women, Democrat lawyer Jenifer Rajkumar, 38, became the first South Asian woman elected to the New York state assembly defeating her Republican rival Giovanni Perna.

    Rajkumar, a Stanford-educated lawyer and an immigrant rights advocate, is a professor at the City University of New York. She has previously served as the Director of Immigration Affairs and Special Counsel for New York state.

    Democrat Kesha Ram, who served in the Vermont House of Representatives from 2009 to 2016, became the first woman of color elected to the Vermont State Senate.

    Daughter of a Punjabi from India, she was one of the youngest ever to be elected to State Assembly at the age of 21.

    Other three elected to state houses were immigration attorney Nima Kulkarni in Kentucky, Vandana Slatter, a pharmacist, and scientist, in Washington and Democrat Padma Kuppa in Michigan. Kuppa was the first Indian immigrant and Hindu in the Michigan Legislature.

    “This year’s election represented a giant leap forward for the Indian Americans’ role in US politics,” says Neil Makhija, Executive Director of IMPACT.

    The leading Indian American advocacy and political action committee had raised a $10 million war chest to get Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris and other Indian origin candidates elected. “Indian American voters and candidates demonstrated the burgeoning power and influence of this important voting bloc in decisive fashion,” he said.

    With a record number of Indian American candidates running for office across the nation, around two million Indian Americans voted in the 2020 election, according to the Center for American Progress.

    Winners

    US House:

    The longest serving Indian American House member Ami Bera, 55, won his fifth consecutive term to the House from California. Son of immigrant parents from Gujarat, Bera is a physician by profession. New Delhi-born lawyer Krishnamoorthi, 47, defeated his Libertarian Party rival in Illinois to win a third term.

    So did lawyer, academic Ro Khanna, 44, who defeated another Indian American challenger Ritesh Tandon of Republican Party in California.

    Chenna-born civil rights activist Jayapal, 55, the first and the only Indian American woman in the House, also won a third consecutive term from Washington State.

    States:

    In Arizona, Democrat Amish Shah, a doctor who defeated incumbent Ken Clark in 2018 was reelected to the State House from District 24.

    In California, Ash Kalra was re-elected to the California State Assembly for the third consecutive term.

    In Michigan, Democrat Ranjeev Puri was elected to 21st House District with a promise to help fight for a better Michigan.

    Also elected to Michigan state House 3rd District was Shri Thanedar, 65, millionaire businessman, scientist, who made an unsuccessful bid for governor two years ago,

    In New York,  Jeremy Cooney of Democratic Party, Working Families Party, was elected to the state senate from district 56.

    Born in an Indian orphanage, Cooney was adopted by a single-mother and grew up in the South Wedge neighborhood of the City of Rochester.

    Zohran Mamdani, son of filmmaker Mira Nair, won a New York State Assembly seat.

    In North Carolina, Democrat attorney and professor Jay Chaudhuri, who in 2016 became the first Indian American state legislator, was re-elected from State Senate’s 15th District.

    In Ohio, Republican Niraj Antani, 29, who in 2014 became the youngest member of the Ohio state house, has been elected as Ohio’s first Indian American state senator.

    He was the first Indian American Republican to serve in the Ohio House and second to get elected from the community to the statehouse.

    In Pennsylvania Democrat Nikil Saval, a writer and community organizer, was elected to District 1 of State Senate. He was the first Indian American elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

    In Texas, Ravi Sandill, who in November 2008 became the first judge of South Asian descent elected in Texas, was re-elected as District Judge in Harris County.

    A number of Indian Americans also lost their races on Tuesday.

    In Maine, state house speaker Sara Gideon, 48, lost the US senate race to incumbent veteran Republican Senator Susan Collins.

    Gideon grew up in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, where her father was a pediatrician who emigrated from India and her Armenian American mother was a psychiatrist.

    In New Jersey, Republican Rik Mehta, 42, a pharmaceutical entrepreneur and political newcomer, lost to popular Democrat senator Cory Booker, a former mayor of New Jersey’s largest city and onetime Democratic presidential aspirant.

    In California, Republican Ritesh Tandon lost the US House race to fellow Indian American lawyer, academic Ro Khanna.

    So did Nisha Sharma, another Republican, to sitting Democrat Mark DeSaulnier.

    In Texas, former US diplomat Sri Preston Kulkarni, 42, lost to his Republican rival Troy Nehls in the state’s 22nd congressional district. He had narrowly lost the race in 2018, too.

    In Arizona’s 6th congressional district, Democrat Hiral Tiperneni is trailing narrowly at 10:30 am EST.

    In Virginia, Republican Manga Anantatmula failed to unseat Democrat Gerry Connolly.

  • Raja Krishnamoorthi calls for decisive steps to end bigotry, hate crimes

    Raja Krishnamoorthi calls for decisive steps to end bigotry, hate crimes

    Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has asked the US administration to take “decisive steps” to end bigotry and hate crimes towards Indian-Americans and other religious minorities in the country.

    “There are various reasons (for increase in hate crimes), but one is certainly there’s been a rise in divisive rhetoric starting with the top,” Krishnamoorthi, Congressman from Illinois, said.

    Krishnamoorthi, who has initiated steps to galvanise his Congressional colleagues on the issue, said there has been a number of issues taken on the immigration front, which really contributes to the divisive atmosphere in this country.

    “Starting with the immigration executive order dated January 27th, which targeted American legal permanent residents, also known as Green Card holders. But we’ve now seen a number of steps taken by the White House on a number of fronts, which have sown confusion, concern, and fear among Indian-Americans and others,” Krishnamoorthi told PTI.

    The first-time Congressman said he has not seen any measures being taken by President Donald Trump.

    “Not so far, but I’m heartened that at least Secretary (of Homeland Security John) Kelly was willing to meet with me and others to discuss this issue and to recognise that there has been an increase in hate crimes and that we need to do something about it,” he said.

    “But now is the time to act. We can’t just have a nice talk. It’s time for the authorities at the very top of our government to take decisive steps to end the state of bigotry and prejudice that’s being directed toward Indian-Americans, Jews, Latinos, Muslims, and others because at the end of the day, we have to come together as a country to confront the various challenges that we have on the landscape, primarily economic,” Krishnamoorthi said.

    One thing that the Trump Administration can do is that they can make sure that there continue to be the registry of where are the attacks happening and against who, and those responsible for it are prosecuted.

    “They’ve been dilly-dallying on this front in a number of cases,” he alleged.

    “It’s very clear that some of these attacks were motivated by hate, and they should be prosecuted as such. Then, we need leaders to come and meet with the community and to show solidarity with them,” he said.

    “We are all Americans, and regardless of what you think about his policies, George Bush, after the September 11th attacks, actually showed up in the different communities to allay concerns about different communities being singled out as targets of hatred. We need that same type of attention being given now,” he said.

    “Then, word needs to go out into law enforcement that they need to act with even more purpose, and they need to do everything they can to stop these attacks,” he added.

    Read more

    Krishnamoorthi last week met with Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly.

    During the meeting, he brought up the concerns about the attacks on Indian-Americans, Hindus, Muslims, Jews, and others.

    “I basically got a commitment from him to work on this issue, and he also lamented the rise in White supremacist organisations,” he said.

    “I then followed up with a letter to him basically urging him to take action to follow up on his commitment. Then I’ve also asked him to come to Chicago and hold meetings with local concerned community leaders with regard to this issue. He said that he was interested, but we’re following up on that,” he added.

    “This follows a number of other actions taken by our office including calling for investigative hearings of my Oversight Committee, writing to Department of Justice (DOJ) including Attorney General Jeff Sessions asking them to investigate, and various other statements and letters that we’ve sent,” Krishnamoorthi said.

    “In addition, I’ve met with local leaders in the community with regard to this issue, and we are holding town halls and other meetings to basically bring attention to what’s happening. We’re doing everything we can to make sure that we address this rise in hate crimes and prejudice and bigotry in as diligent a manner as possible,” Krishnamoorthi said.

    Having received feedback from across the country, Krishnamoorthi said Indian-Americans are very concerned, which is bordering on fear.

    “I think that we have to do everything we can to allay their concerns, but more importantly, to take action, to make sure that we get to the bottom of what’s happening and prevent future attacks,” he said.

  • “No regrets” in job, says Ambassador Haley

    “No regrets” in job, says Ambassador Haley

    NEW YORK(TIP): Asserting that she has “no regrets” in her job, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said her Indian parents raised her to give her best to whatever job she does.

    “No, there is no regrets,” Haley said at a session at the Women In The World summit when asked if she has any regrets in her job.

    “I am the daughter of Indian parents where my mom always said, ‘whatever you do, be great at it and make sure people remember you for it’ and so my focus is just to try and do the jobs as best as I can,” she said here.

    Haley was speaking yesterday at the ‘Women In The World’ summit, a premier annual gathering of influential women leaders, politicians and activists organized by media personality Tina Brown in association with the New York Times.

    Haley speaks proudly about her Indian heritage, often bringing it up during her speeches and interactions. Earlier this week, while addressing reporters at the UN headquarters, Haley brought up her Indian heritage when she asked about her qualities of being able to speak freely and openly.

    “Every position that I have ever had, people have assumed that I’m looking towards something bigger when in reality I’m the daughter of Indian parents who said to me ‘whatever you do be great at it and make sure people remember you for it’. That is all I am trying to do. That is all I have ever known how to be is to try and just do my job to the best of my ability and if that comes out blunt and if that comes out strong – I’m one of two brothers and a sister – my parents raised us all to be strong,” she said.

    When asked at the women summit if she liked her new job as Washington’s envoy to the world body, she said she does.

    “I do like the job because you can move the ball. It’s not just about talking, you can actually negotiate, you can actually change things,” she said.

    Haley said she has a “lot of” interaction with President Donald Trump, “I talked to him this morning” adding that she visits Washington at least once a week for the National Security Council meetings.

  • Indian American Senator Harris Urges President Trump to Abandon ACA Repeal Efforts

    Indian American Senator Harris Urges President Trump to Abandon ACA Repeal Efforts

    WASHINGTON (TIP): U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris joined colleagues in sending a letter to President Trump urging him and his administration to abandon their efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and undermine the United States health care system so they can work in a bipartisan fashion to improve the law and lower the costs of health care for all Americans.

    The letter, signed by 44 Senate Democrats, also requests – as a first step – that the Trump Administration rescind the executive order signed on January 20th, 2017 which severely undermined the Affordable Care Act and sparked the efforts to unravel the law thereby undermining the health care system and increasing costs, hurting patients, providers and families. Senate Democrats also expressed concern with President Trump’s recent statement indicating it would be a good thing to make the ACA “explode”, despite the fact that would mean hurting millions of Americans.

    “Members of the Democratic caucus remain ready and willing to work with you on policies that would improve the stability of the individual insurance market. We ask that you begin the work of improving health care for millions of Americans by rescinding your January 20th executive order”, reads the letter.

    Earlier, Harris spoke on the floor of the Senate in opposition to the American Health Care Act on the anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act.

  • Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Denounces Trump’s Executive Order Rolling Back American Commitment to Growing Green Technology Sector

    Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Denounces Trump’s Executive Order Rolling Back American Commitment to Growing Green Technology Sector

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi denounced President Trump’s executive order eliminating President Obama’s climate-change protections as an attack on the growing green economy and as another example of the Trump administration’s effort to govern by decree. Krishnamoorthi is the author of the Executive Order Transparency Act, which would require executive orders to be posted to the White House website seventy-two hours in advance of signing, to reveal their contents. The Congressman also introduced H. Res. 85, a resolution in support of the United States continuing its Paris Agreement commitments to address climate change and develop clean energy.

    “Through this sudden and reckless order, the Trump administration has continued to cede American leadership in green technology while endangering our environment and ambushing our economy in the process,” Krishnamoorthi said.

    “The need to deal with climate change is imperative, but by doing so, we can also lead the world in the development of green technology. That is why I introduced a resolution specifically calling for our country to continue to address climate change and to embrace the new economic developments that come with it. Through rolling back these environmental protections, President Trump has allowed other nations to lead on this vital technology.”

    “I’ve also introduced legislation to push back against the White House’s efforts to ambush the country with radical overnight orders by requiring executive orders to be disclosed three days before their signing. By issuing this order so suddenly and without providing warning to the necessary Agencies, the administration has left clean energy and green technology firms to face a suddenly more hostile business environment for no discernible advantage”, he further added.

  • Indian American Social Entrepreneur elected Treasurer for Democrats Abroad India

    Indian American Social Entrepreneur elected Treasurer for Democrats Abroad India

    CHICAGO (TIP): Social Entrepreneur Dr Tausif Malik from Chicago elected Treasurer for Democrats Abroad India (Democratic Party of USA – India Chapter). The elections were held on March 22nd, 2017 and results were announced on March 26th, 2017.

    Indian born Malik immigrated to Chicago in 2007. He did his schooling from Bishop’s School & Crescent School Pune. He earned his B. Com & M.Com from Poona College & Post Graduate Diploma in Business from Institute of Management Education, Pune and his Doctorate in Business Administration from Argosy University Chicago.

    A strong supporter of Barack Obama, Malik launched World’s First Muslim Spelling Bee competition, which became one of the largest community competitions of USA. In 2015, the social entrepreneur decided to return to India to take care of his ailing mother. While in India, he established various startup festivals such as AIMBSN.com, GCC Startup Fest, India Startup Fest and Schoolpreneur.

    Biz to empower individuals to achieve economic liberation and benefit from the Government of India’s Make in India, Digital India, SkiII India, Standup India Startup India initiatives. Malik now lives in Pune with his mother Razia Malik.

     

  • Indian American enters New Jersey Gubernatorial Race

    Indian American enters New Jersey Gubernatorial Race

    EDISON, NJ (TIP): Hirsh Vardhan Singh, a 31-year-old Indian-American entrepreneur has entered the governor’s race in New Jersey. The Republican announced his run for the top elected position in the State earlier this month and urged people of New Jersey to give fresh ideas a chance. He also unveiled several points of his plan including: cutting property taxes and fixing the school funding formula to bring back prosperity to the residents of New Jersey, fix transportation infrastructure, and make New Jersey a national leader in technological innovation.

    Announcing his candidacy for the New Jersey Governor’s seat, Singh emphasized his goal to bring back jobs to New Jersey. “We need to fix our economy, we need to get going in the right direction”, Singh said. During his speech, he mentioned the need for fresh and innovative ideas “we’ve tried bankers from Goldman Sachs before and we’ve tried lawyers”; “Now if you give me the support I bring my engineering background as a problem solver”.

    But Singh will face a tough Republican primary on June 6, 2017, battling with least four popular Republican candidates in the race – Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, Lt Governor and Secretary of State Kim Guadagno, Nutley Commissioner of Public Affairs Steven Rogers and businessman Joseph Rudy Rullo.

    If elected in the November gubernatorial elections, Singh would succeed outgoing Republican Governor Chris Christie and would be the third Indian-American ever elected as a Governor of a State after Bobby Jindal and Nikki Haley.

    Born in Atlantic City as the middle of three children, Hirsh attended a public high school in Egg Harbor Township. Through high school, Hirsh got involved in many extracurricular activities, which encouraged him to take on many leadership roles during his time in college at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Hirsh went on to receive a Bachelor of Science from NJIT in Engineering.

  • Indian American Congressman Ami Bera welcomes annulment of Health Care Repeal Bill

    Indian American Congressman Ami Bera welcomes annulment of Health Care Repeal Bill

    WASHINGTON (TIP): After the House majority cancelled a vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as ObamaCare, Indian American Congressman Ami Bera welcomed the move noting that ‘Affordable Care Act Repeal Bill would have Kicked 100,000 in Sacramento County off Health Care.’

    “This bill would have kicked millions of hardworking Americans off their health care, raised the cost of coverage for families, and imposed an age tax on our parents and grandparents. I hope that after cancelling this vote, the Speaker and the majority will hear loud and clear that playing politics with peoples’ health care is not going to work. Now is the time for Democrats and Republicans to come together, because the job isn’t over until every American has affordable and accessible healthcare. Real lives are at stake here and I’m ready to get to work”, said Berawhois one of just two Democratic doctors in Congress, and practiced internal medicine, taught at the UC Davis School of medicine, and served Sacramento County as Chief Medical Officer before being elected to Congress.

    It’s estimated that more than 100,000 hardworking Americans in Sacramento County would have lost their health care under the proposed legislation.

  • Ro Khanna’s take on Trump’s Budget Proposal – Its “Dumb” & “Inhumane”

    Ro Khanna’s take on Trump’s Budget Proposal – Its “Dumb” & “Inhumane”

    Washington:  Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna has termed as “dumb” some of the budget proposals of US President Donald Trump and described the move to cut foreign aid as “inhumane”.

    Khanna, the first-time Democratic lawmaker elected to the House of Representatives from a Congressional District in California, hoped that the ruling Republican party, which has majority in both the House and the Senate, would work against passage of the budgetary proposals of Trump.

    “I am really concerned about the community block grants, the USD three billion cut. It is shocking to me given someone campaigned on America first, building American cities. Here USD three billion that goes to building American cities, transportation, infrastructure, job training.

    “I cannot think of a more a dumb proposal than frankly than cutting that. Hopefully the Republicans will push back on that,” he told TYT Politics news YouTube channel yesterday.

    Khanna said he is concerned that the Republicans may not push back on foreign aid, given that the White House has proposed a massive budgetary cut in it.

    “Gorge Bush, I disagreed with about everything Bush/Cheney did. The one thing he did that we should all give him credit for is he helped save people in Africa with HIV. We put billions of dollars in foreign aid to help people with the antiviral drugs and we are going to cut that. That is so inhumane. So I think defending the foreign aid budget, which is less than one per cent, which is going to humanitarian causes,” Khanna said.

    “One of the things that annoyed me so much about Trump’s speech was when he said, ‘Well, it is America’s national interest and America first, and all nations follow their self- interest’. I thought the whole idea about American exceptionalism is we are not all nations. Yeah, other nations just follow their national interest, we care about morality.

    We care about humanity. That is what makes America exceptional, so we should care about the moral case, about what we are going to do for other countries,” he said.

    Alleging that the Republicans want to dismantle the New Deal Coalition, Khanna said this is the reason why they are “so much allowance” to Trump.

    “You talk to members of Congress and they do not agree with everything he says even Republicans. They are as embarrassed. But why do they give him such a pass? Why are not they speaking out? It is because he is helping achieve their vision, which is the dismantling of the administrative state.

    The dismantling of the New Deal in a way that even Ronald Reagan did and so they are saying, ‘Okay, we are going to make the bargain with the devil’. He is giving us what we want. Let us ignore everything else,” he said.

    Commenting on the Democratic party’s defeat, he said the party leadership have to come out with an economic platform that would appeal to people in states like Michigan, Ohio, Arkansas, Kentucky and places that they lost.

    “We have got to be willing to take a risk on something bold. I think that is really where the frustration with the base is, is they see the same type of incrementalism. It is not just a messaging problem. It is not just okay with we use some different word, or George Lakoff, we have the wrong frame. It is a vision problem. It is a substance problem. They are hurting,” Khanna said.

    He said globalization has eviscerated in part the middle class, and the money has gone to corporate interest.

    “The money has gone to CEOs. They feel that their wages have stagnated since 1979 to today for most middle-class families. The cost of healthcare has gone up. The cost education has gone up. Why would not you be upset? Why would not you be angry? They do not see the Democratic Party having done anything for them,” he said.

    Khanna said there is a stagnation of ideas in the Democratic party and there is need for a new vision.

    “We need people who are going to put out the bold ideas for the Democrats, just like Paul Ryan and Newt Gingrich and others did for the Republicans. Barry Goldwater, Reagan, they moved the Republican Party. We need that same energy. I had said somewhat facetiously but I believe it, let us fire all the Democratic consultants. Put Robert Reich, Stephanie Kelton and Paul Krugman in a room and they do a hell of a better job coming up with their agenda,” he said.

    Responding to a question, Khanna said American democracy is extraordinary.

    “I think that American democracy is still extraordinary. My own story: I am of Hindu faith, parents immigrated, was born in Philadelphia, I am 40 years old, I represent a district which is the most economically successful district in the world with Apple and Google,” he said.

    “There is an openness to the American political system that is extraordinary for all its flaws. That is what I hope people will understand that they do not feel disenfranchised.

    If the Democratic Party is the vehicle, great. If that is not the vehicle, go protest, go run as a third-party, but be engaged,” Khanna added.

  • Don’t use hateful language: Indian American Congressman to Trump

    Don’t use hateful language: Indian American Congressman to Trump

    Worried about frequent hate crimes against Indian-origin people in the US, a senior Indian-American Congressman has urged President Donald Trump to refrain from using Islamophobic language that pits one group against another.

    “We’re certainly hearing that there’s some anxiety,” Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera, a three-term Democratic lawmaker from California told PTI.

    Now increasingly playing the role of mentorship to other aspiring Indian-American politicians and other elected leaders, Bera said it is important for community to speak out against such hate crimes.

    “It’s not reflective of who I believe we are as a country, we’re a nation of immigrants and I think the majority of Americans understand we’re a nation of immigrants,” he said.

    He is the senior most Indian-American lawmaker in the US House of Representatives which now has three other members from the community Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Pramila Jayapal.

    Bera, 52, said he would like President Trump to speak out more forcefully against these hate crimes.

    “In fact, some of the hateful language that he used on the campaign trail I think has actually allowed some of the groups (involved in hate crimes) to come out of the shadows,” he said.

    “You’ve seen some of the high profile crimes, like what happened in Kansas, what happened in Washington State and South Carolina … Again, that’s not the country that I believe we are as America,” said Bera. Though the number might not be that big, but the community is now a vibrant part in the US, he said.

    “It’s the most affluent demographic in America. Many of the start-ups and the innovations that are occurring in America are coming out of the Indian-American community.”

    “Go to any State across this country, you have Indian American doctors, entrepreneurs, engineers working in fully integrated into the community. So, we are a part of the fabric of America. I think it’s important for the community to come together and let America know that this is not okay. It’s not who the US is,” he asserted.

    Urging Trump to stop tweeting, Bera said he would tell the US President to not use language that pits one group against another.

    “Certainly, he has used some Islamophobic language. The travel ban is the wrong direction because I think it’s targeting the specific group of individuals,” he said, adding that he is also worried a bit about America’s reputation taking a hit across the world.

    “I think it’s important for people like myself to speak out and make sure people around the world and places in India understand we’ve not changed what our values are, the people of America haven’t changed.”

    “Many of us believe the strength of America is this integration of different cultures, different religions, people coming together. That’s unique in the world and that’s something which has always made America a special place,” he said.

    (Source: PTI)