Washington sends top official to India as Modi’s third term takes shape
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will head to New Delhi to discuss “shared India-US priorities,” the White House said on Wednesday, days after general elections concluded in the nation of 1.4 billion people.
Sullivan’s visit was announced when US President Joe Biden phoned Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to congratulate him following his election win. Despite a setback for Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which could not secure a parliamentary majority on its own, it was able to win more than half of the seats in the lower house of parliament together with its partners in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). On Wednesday, Modi was re-elected as leader of the coalition. However, negotiations are still ongoing to form a government.
According to the White House, Modi and Biden have committed to “deepening the US-India Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership and to advancing their shared vision of a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.”
While New Delhi has been expanding its relationship with Washington under Modi, ties between the two countries have experienced “hiccups,” as US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti described recently.
On Tuesday, after India had finished counting its ballots, a US State Department spokesperson said the White House expects “continued close ties with India, along with discussions on human rights concerns.”
The US’ annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2023 claimed that attacks on minorities, journalists, and dissenting voices had been recorded in India, particularly in Manipur state, where ethnic clashes have left over 200 people dead since May of last year. A spokesperson for the Indian Foreign Ministry slammed the document as “very biased” and claimed that it showed a “very poor understanding” of the country. He added that the government attaches “no value” to the report.
Meanwhile, the US is also investigating a New York assassination attempt allegedly orchestrated by New Delhi against a Sikh activist designated as a “terrorist.” While repeatedly denying the allegations, India has set up a high-level committee to probe the case.
Modi could be sworn in for his third term on Saturday or Sunday, according to unconfirmed reports in the Indian media. Notably, the leaders of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have already confirmed their presence at the event after speaking to Modi over the phone, several media outlets noted on Thursday.
Dozens of leaders congratulated Modi on his party’s election win on Wednesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to the Indian leader over the phone – the two had agreed to “continue the constructive personal interaction” as they see bilateral relations “expanding in all directions,” the Kremlin said.
Last year, Putin extended an invitation to Modi during Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s Moscow visit. It is speculated that the two leaders could meet in person this year.
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