US Monitoring Rise in 'Human Rights Abuses' in India: State Secy Blinken

The statement comes after the US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue on Monday, 11 April.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday, 12 April, said that Washington was monitoring the rise in "human rights abuses" in India.

(Photo: Twitter/Dr S Jaishankar)

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday, 12 April, said that Washington was monitoring the rise in "human rights abuses" in India.

"We regularly engage with our Indian partners on these shared values (of human rights) and to that end, we are monitoring some recent concerning developments in India including a rise in human rights abuses by some government, police, and prison officials," Blinken was quoted as saying on Monday at a joint press briefing with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Foreign Minister Dr S Jaishankar, and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.

"The relationship between the world’s largest democracies is built on a foundation of common values and resilient democratic institutions, and the shared Indo-Pacific interests of a rules-based international order that safeguards sovereignty and territorial integrity, upholds human rights, and expands regional and global peace and prosperity," a White House statement on the US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue said.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, who is in Washington DC for the ministerial conference, said, "Concluded a productive and substantive 2+2 Ministerial Meeting. Discussed contemporary challenges and issues in an open and constructive manner. Resolved that our strategic partnership would continue to grow and play a greater role in shaping the direction of world affairs."

This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual meeting with US President Joe Biden on Monday to inaugurate the fourth US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.

What Happened at the Modi-Biden Meeting?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden discussed India-United States relations and the war in Ukraine during a virtual summit on Monday, 11 April.

Addressing the summit, PM Modi spoke of his last meeting with Biden in Washington in 2021, reminding the latter that he had said that the India-US partnership can contribute to the solution of many global problems.

"I totally agree with you. As the world's two largest and oldest democracies, we are natural partners," PM Modi said.

PM Modi further said that the news of the recent killings of innocent civilians in Ukraine's Bucha was very worrying. "We condemned it immediately and have also demanded a fair probe. We hope that the ongoing talks between Russia and Ukraine will lead to peace," the prime minister stated.

Biden, meanwhile, said that India and the US share a strong and growing major defence partnership.

"The majority of our partnership is a deep connection between our people and our shared values. Our friendship and our shared values," President Biden said

"Together, they committed to strengthening the U.S.-India relationship through cooperation on clean energy, technology and military cooperation, and expanded economic and people-to-people ties. They also committed to continue cooperation – bilaterally and multilaterally – on ending the COVID-19 pandemic, strengthening global health security, advancing global food security, and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific," a press release by the White House said.