Bernie Sanders compelling us to play role in US Presidential elections: BJP leader B L Santhosh

A senior leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday almost threatened to influence the presidential elections in the United States, after American Senator and White House hopeful Bernie Sanders made a comment on the violent clashes in North-East Delhi.

Sanders tweeted criticising US President Donald Trump for keeping mum even as violent clashes in North-East Delhi broke out at a time, when he, himself, was in the national capital of India. This prompted B L Santhosh, General Secretary (Organization) of the BJP, to threaten to “play a role” in the presidential elections in the United States.

“How much ever neutral we wish to be, you compel us to play a role in the Presidential election...Sorry to say so...but you are compelling us,” Santhosh replied to Sanders on Twitter. He, however, later deleted his tweet.

The Government distanced itself from the comment by the senior leader of the ruling BJP. When a journalist asked him about the view of the government on the riposte by Santhosh, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Raveesh Kumar, underlined that India-America relations enjoyed bipartisan support in the US.

Kumar, however, dismissed the comment by Sanders, albeit without referring to him specifically. “We would urge that irresponsible comments are not made at this sensitive time,” he said, while generally reacting to critical comments made by some US lawmakers and agencies as well as other multilateral organizations on the violence in Delhi.

At least 38 people were killed and around 250 were injured in the violent clashes in the national capital since Monday.

Sanders is among the contenders vying for the nomination of the Democratic Party to take on Trump, who is almost sure to be re-nominated by his Republican Party for the presidential polls scheduled to be held on November 3 this year.

“Over 200 million Muslims call India home. Widespread anti-Muslim mob violence has killed at least 27 and injured many more. Trump responds by saying, 'That's up to India.' This is a failure of leadership on human rights,” Sanders posted on Twitter, reacting to a report on violence in Delhi on Washington Post. This drew a riposte from the BJP general secretary (organisation).

Trump was on a state visit to New Delhi on Monday and Tuesday when the violent clashes between groups of people supporting and opposing the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act broke out in the north-eastern areas of the national capital territory. He, however, did not discuss the controversial law and the protests against it with his host Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that he had heard about the incidents (of clashes in North East Delhi) of “attacks”, but did not discuss it with Modi.

“Hopefully, they are going to make the right decision for their people. That's really up to India,” the US President said while addressing mediapersons in Delhi hours before leaving for Washington D.C. late in the evening on Tuesday.

Santhosh was apparently elated by Trump's silence on the CAA.