The recent state visit to the United States of America by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the invitation of US President Joe Biden, is now being followed by a US lawmakers’ trip to India for the Independence Day (August 15) celebrations at Red Fort, Delhi. The annual ceremony includes an address to the nation by the ruling prime minister.
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers are travelling to India to participate in the Red Ford address of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, among other things, according to an official statement released in Washington DC.
The bipartisan Congressional delegation is led by Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna and Congressman Michael Waltz. The two are co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans.
The lawmakers will attend the Red Fort address in Delhi and also will meet with business, tech, government, and Bollywood leaders in Mumbai, Hyderabad, and New Delhi. Their trip itinerary includes Raj Ghat, a historic memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, the media release said.
Khanna and Waltz will be joined by Congressmen Deborah Ross, Kat Cammack, Shri Thanedar, and Jasmine Crockett along with Rich McCormick and Ed Case.
For Congressman Khanna, this is history coming full circle. “His grandfather Amarnath Vidyalankar was an Indian freedom fighter, who spent four years in jail alongside Gandhi and later was part of India’s first parliament,” said the statement.
“As co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, we are proud to lead a bipartisan delegation to India. We will be there to discuss how to strengthen economic and defence ties between our two counties, the oldest and largest democracies,” said Khanna. “Both of us believe that the US-India relationship will be a defining one of the 21st century. India is a key partner in ensuring multipolarity in Asia and the denial of China as a hegemon.”
Khanna said, “We must continue to strive to make progress and build our partnership based on our shared founding values of democracy, freedom of the press and assembly, and human rights. This delegation is a historic opportunity to drive further collaboration and advance shared aims.”
Earlier this year, Khanna and Waltz hosted a historic US-India Summit on the Hill featuring panels and remarks from government leaders, experts, and Indian-American leaders from across the country.