India Rejects Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s Criticism of Electoral Process as ‘Unwarranted and Uninformed’
NEW DELHI — India on Friday rejected criticism of its electoral process by U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, calling the Indian-American lawmaker’s remarks “unwarranted and uninformed” and accusing her of interfering in the internal affairs of a fellow democracy.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded to Jayapal’s allegations during a regular news briefing in New Delhi, defending India’s electoral institutions and procedures.
“We find the remarks of the Congresswoman unwarranted and uninformed and tantamount to interfering in the electoral practices of a fellow democracy. This is an approach that undermines democracy itself,” Jaiswal said.
The dispute followed comments by Jayapal, a Democrat representing Washington state, who expressed concern about reports of voters being removed from India’s electoral rolls.
“I am deeply concerned about the actions of the Indian government to purge 130 million people from the voting rolls,” Jayapal wrote on X.
India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, also criticized the congresswoman’s statements Thursday, describing them as inappropriate interference in India’s domestic political affairs.
“The remarks by Rep. Jayapal on India’s electoral and political processes are unacceptable interference in India’s internal affairs,” Kwatra wrote on X.
“India is a vibrant democracy, with robust, independent constitutional institutions and a longstanding record of free and fair elections. Always open to constructive conversation with the Congresswoman to dispel her misconceptions,” he added.
The controversy comes as the Election Commission of India conducts a nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in phases.
The commission has said the exercise is intended to update electoral records by identifying voters who have died, relocated or appear more than once on the rolls, as well as those who are absent.
According to the commission, lists of affected voters have been made publicly available and shared with political parties. Individuals whose names have been removed can apply for enrollment at any time.
Jayapal, who was born in Chennai, is a former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and has previously criticized Indian government policies.
In 2019, she introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives urging India to lift restrictions on communications in Kashmir.
The latest exchange highlights renewed disagreements between Indian officials and the U.S. lawmaker over India’s domestic political and electoral practices. (Source: IANS)
