Indo-American Democrat Ro Khanna condemns 'Hindu nationalism', backs student protests

Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna on Friday said he has “unequivocally condemned Hindu nationalism” and backed student protests in India against corruption and in favour of inclusion.The Democrat leader responded to a social media user who questioned his position on developments in India amid reports of a possible 2028 presidential campaign."I have unequivocally condemned Hindu nationalism & applauded the students in the streets speaking out against corruption and for inclusion,” Khanna said.“My grandfather was part of Gandhi's independence movement and I believe in Gandhi and Nehru's vision of pluralism," he added.Khanna has represented California's 17th congressional district since January 2017, and was recently re-elected for the sixth term during the midterm elections.The exchange comes as a group of Khanna's supporters seek to build momentum for a possible presidential campaign in 2028. According to Politico, allies have launched an initiative called “Run Ro” to encourage him to contest the Democratic nomination.The effort is being led by former Democratic Congressman Jamaal Bowman of New York and progressive strategist Nomiki Konst. The draft committee plans to raise funds and build grassroots support while Khanna considers his political options, ANI reported.Khanna, however, has not committed to a presidential run.Separately, Khanna described the Democratic Party's performance in the US midterm elections as a “tsunami” during a conversation with Indian-American community leader and former Joe Biden administration adviser Ajay Jain Bhoturia, ANI reported."This is a tsunami. It is a repudiation of Trump...People want lower costs. They want this war ended. Why? Because if you end the war, you're going to immediately lower the cost of food, lower the cost of gas, lower the cost of diesel. That's causing home heating to go up," Khanna said.Born in Philadelphia in 1976, Khanna’s paternal grandfather, Amarnath Vidyalankar, reportedly took part in India's independence movement and was imprisoned for opposing British colonial rule.Khanna has previously served as a deputy assistant secretary at the US department of commerce during the Obama administration and co-chaired Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.