Garcetti’s Nomination as US Envoy to India Advances but Stance on CAA Raises Concerns

The United States Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) last week advanced the confirmation process for US President Joe Biden’s nominee for US ambassador to India, former Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti, for the second time.

This means that the nomination will now move to the Senate floor.

Due to allegations that Garcetti ignored sexual harassment allegations against a close aide, his confirmation was not approved during the last Congress.

The US did not assign an envoy to New Delhi since January 2021, which means that the position is lying vacant for more than two years.

This is the first time in the history of the India-US bilateral relationship that an envoy has not been appointed to New Delhi for more than two years.

The Biden administration welcomed the move while accepting that any other country would not leave the position of ambassador to India for such a long period.

This does not mean that the former Los Angeles mayor has been nominated but it does mean that now someone can be appointed US envoy to India and it would Garcetti, if the Senate decides to vote in his favour.

Meanwhile, on social media, a video shared by Twitter account Wokeflix has surfaced where Garcetti is seen telling the Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Maryland’s Democrat senator Ben Cardin during his confirmation that he would bring up human rights and discrimination such as via the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as a “core” piece of his engagement rather than as an obligation.

“There are groups that are actively fighting for the human rights of people on the ground in India that will get direct engagement from me. We know that democracies are complicated and we can look at our own and at India’s but it is a cornerstone of our shared values,” Garcetti told Cardin in the video from 2021.

After the clip surfaced, criticism has been levelled against Garcetti and the Biden administration for selecting a former Los Angeles mayor who also faces allegations of ignoring claims of sexual harassment while he was Los Angeles mayor.

CNN news anchor Jake Tapper also aired a segment on the issue on his programme The Lead on Monday evening.

Two Indian Army veterans and other observers are also questioning Garcetti’s possible appointment.

Veteran and former commander of a Mountain Brigade and former Force Commander of the National Security Guard Brigadier V Mahalingam took to Twitter to question the appointment of Garcetti.

“Question is, do we need him in the country? If not why accept him?” Brigadier Mahalingam posted on Twitter.

An article by the former director general of information systems and Indian Army’s Special Forces veteran retired lieutenant general Prakash Katoch on Indian Defence Review also flagged the danger of appointing Garcetti.

Lieutenant general Prakash Katoch citing US historian William Blum, who had also served in the US State Department, warns that the US has been responsible for plotting the overthrow of several democratically elected governments in West Asia and South and Latin America.

He also questioned that time US continued engagement with Pakistan and also challenged Maryland Dem Cardin for his stance on CAA by questioning his silence over the issue of minority Muslim groups being persecuted in several parts of Pakistan, including in Waziristan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Columnist Rakesh Kumar Simha also called Garcetti a ‘Californian super woke’ and questioned if his role was that of an envoy or an activist.

(with inputs from Hindustan Times and Sputnik News)

Read all the Latest News here