The letter comes after New Delhi rejected Jayapal’s earlier remarks on the revision of India’s electoral rolls. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had described her comments as unwarranted, saying they amounted to interference in the “electoral practices of a fellow democracy”.
Beyond concerns about detentions in India, the lawmakers also flagged what they described as “incidents of apparent surveillance and intimidation of individuals exercising their fundamental rights on United States soil by individuals in the employ of or acting in coordination with the Indian Embassy and consulates”.
Besides Jayapal, the letter was signed by James P McGovern, Jesus G "Chuy" Garcia, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. The six lawmakers urged Rubio to raise the concerns with his Indian counterparts during his scheduled visit.
The letter also questioned India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that “the process lacked transparency”. The lawmakers called on Rubio to urge the Indian government to investigate “alleged human rights violations connected to the law enforcement response to protests”.
They further sought the “release of any individuals detained in contravention to Indian and international law for peacefully exercising the rights to freedom of expression and assembly”.
#WATCH | Delhi: On United States Representative Pramila Jayapal's remark on SIR, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "We find the remarks of the congresswoman unwarranted and uninformed, and tantamount to interfering in the electoral practices of a democracy. This is an approach that undermines democracy itself." On the mass shooting attempt in Aurora, Illinois, he says, "... This is obviously a matter of deep concern for us, and at the same time, it is something that shows or highlights the increasing cases of hate crimes and racial discrimination against the Indian community in the United States. We have taken note of the action that U.S. law enforcement authorities have undertaken after this incident happened. We call on the United States side to ensure the safety, security, and well-being of internationals in the United States in the country."
— ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2026
India on Pramila Jayapal’s Earlier Remarks
On Wednesday, Jayapal raised concerns over reports that 13 crore names had been removed from India’s draft electoral rolls.
Jayapal, who was born in Chennai and moved to the US in 1982, said on social media that she was “deeply concerned about the actions of the Indian government to purge 130 million people from the voting rolls”. She added that the move “appears to be a similar playbook to what the Trump Administration is doing [in the US] to undermine voting rights in a democracy”.
Responding to her remarks during his bi-weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "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," he said.
As the world’s largest democracies, the U.S. and India have an obligation to promote and defend the rights to freedom of assembly and expression. @RepMcGovern and I are urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to prioritize those freedoms and human rights when he meets with Indian officials in the coming days.
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) October 16, 2026
Jayapal’s comments came amid protests by young people and Opposition parties in India over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The lawmakers’ latest letter has brought these concerns, along with allegations of detentions and surveillance, into their appeal for Rubio to raise the issues with Indian officials during his visit.
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