The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday pointed frantically at a 2024 meeting between Rahul Gandhi and United States lawmaker Janice Schakowsky – who this week joined seven others in asking the Indian government to release 2020 Delhi riots case accused Umar Khalid from prison, where he has been held for five years without a trial – as further evidence of the Congress leader's "anti-India" stance.
The BJP's Pradeep Bhandari posted a photograph of Gandhi with Schakowsky and Ilhan Omar, another US lawmaker whom the ruling party routinely claims is "anti-India", and declared, "Every time an anti-India narrative is peddled abroad one name recurs in the background... those who want to weaken India, defame its elected government, and dilute its anti-terror laws converge around him."
Neither the Congress nor Rahul Gandhi have responded so far.
In his post Bhandari claimed a link between Gandhi's 2024 trip to the US, and meeting with Schakowsky and Omar, and a bill sponsored by the latter that was tabled in January 2025.
HOW THE RAHUL GANDHI - ANTI INDIA LOBBY WORKS?
— Pradeep Bhandari(प्रदीप भंडारी)🇮🇳 (@pradip103) January 2, 2026
2024:
Jan Schakowsky meets Rahul Gandhi in the United States — along with Anti India Ilhan Omar.
January 2025:
She reintroduces the “Combating International Islamophobia Act”, explicitly naming India and alleging “crackdowns on… pic.twitter.com/1ly4te2Bds
The bill was the Combating International Islamophobia Act.
The bill proposed the creation of an Office to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia and address related issues. The bill also required certain existing annual reports submitted to the US Congress – reports on human rights and religious freedom in foreign countries – to include information about Islamophobia and anti-Muslim propaganda in government-controlled media.
"How the Rahul Gandhi-anti-India lobby works…
2024: Jan Schakowsky meets Rahul Gandhi in the United States – with anti-India Ilhan Omar.
January 2025: She reintroduces the 'Combating International Islamophobia Act', explicitly naming India and alleging 'crackdowns on Muslim communities'.
Cut to 2026: The same Jan Schakowsky writes to the Government of India, raising 'concerns' over Umar Khalid - an accused under UAPA in serious cases linked to riots and violence."
The letter Schakowsky wrote December 30 urged the Indian government to grant Khalid bail and ensure a trial 'in accordance with international law'. The eight US lawmakers also urged the government to ensure similarly fair treatment to Khalid's co-accused, who too remain in jail.
2020 Delhi riots case accused Umar Khalid (File).
Democrat Jim McGovern, one of the signatories of the letter, posted a copy of it on X and said, "Earlier this month I met with the parents of Umar Khalid, who has been jailed in India for over five years without trial."
Earlier this month, I met with the parents of Umar Khalid, who has been jailed in India for over 5 years without trial. @RepRaskin & I are leading our colleagues to urge that he be granted bail & a fair, timely trial in accordance with international law. pic.twitter.com/tBIbG1aOwc
— Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) December 30, 2025
In the letter McGovern and the others said the "strength of the evidence used to charge Mr Khalid with terrorism… is dubious" and that independent investigations by human rights groups "did not find evidence linking Mr Khalid to terrorist activity".
The letter called on India, as a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to "uphold the rights of individuals to receive a trial within a reasonable time or be released".
The eight lawmakers' letter follows the release of an undated letter by newly-elected New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to Khalid, in which he said, "Dear Umar, I think of your words on bitterness often and importance of not letting it consume one's self. It was a pleasure to meet your parents."
Meanwhile, Khalid's battle for bail has reached the Supreme Court, where last month a bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice NV Anjaria concluded arguments and reserved judgement.
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