Welcoming Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to the country, United States Senator, Marco Rubio, who represents Florida in the Upper House, cautioned him to ensure that “religious freedoms” remain a priority for the Indian government.
He expressed his concern in a tweet.
I welcome Indian PM Modi to the US. Strong US-India ties are in our long-term interest, but religious freedom must also remain a priority.
— Senator Rubio Press (@SenRubioPress) June 26, 2017
The senator’s comments came as the meeting between Modi and US President, Donald Trump, was a warm one. Both the leaders stressed on the need to fight terrorism, which was followed up by the US State Department designating Hizbul Mujahideen commander Syed Salahuddin, a Pakistani national, as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT)”.
In 2016, Rubio, a member of the Republican Party, had made a run for the White House but lost the ticket for President to Donald Trump.
He echoed the views of former President, Barack Obama, who after his visit to India in 2015 had said, “Michelle and I returned from India — an incredible, beautiful country, full of magnificent diversity — but a place where, in past years, religious faiths of all types have, on occasion, been targeted by other peoples of faith, simply due to their heritage and their beliefs — acts of intolerance that would have shocked Gandhiji, the person who helped to liberate that nation.”
