Indians Gain Spotlight in Cliffhanger US Elections
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Donald Trump Raises Bangladesh Violence Against Hindus in Indian Voters Outreach
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, November 2: The tight US Presidential elections have brought the 5.2 million Indian diaspora in the spotlight with four days left for voting. Republican Donald Trump is hoping to latch on to the Indian American votes.
The pollsters have turned their attention on the Indian diaspora. Almost 2.6 million of them will be eligible to vote. Indian Americans outnumber the margin of victory of Joe Biden, the incumbent president, over Trump in the 2020 elections in some of the key swing states.
Silent campaigns are spotlighting Democrats allegedly cheering the violent campaign to oust pro-India Sheikh Hasina from power in Bangladesh. They are also scanning records to links of Democrats with Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor of the Interim Government of Bangladesh.
Also Read: US hand in toppling Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh: Report
Trump primed his Diwali wishes to capitalize on growing discomfort in the Indian diaspora over the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh and also deepening discord between New Delhi and Washington over the claims of attacks on Sikh separatists in the US and Canada.
“I strongly condemn the barbaric violence against Hindus, Christians, and other minorities who are getting attacked and looted by mobs in Bangladesh, which remains in a total state of chaos,” Trump said in a Diwali message. It would have never happened on my watch, added Trump.
The Republican claimed that “Kamala (Harris) and Joe (Biden) have ignored Hindus across the world and in America”. “We will also protect Hindu Americans against the anti- religion agenda of the radical left,” added Trump.
Also Read: Trump rides garbage truck amid tight US poll race
Trump and Harris have been campaigning hard in the swing states in the last few days before the polling on November 5. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in a survey recently found that more Indian American will be voting for Trump. It said that Harris is likely to secure fewer votes than Biden in 2020 from the Indian American community.
The survey didn’t specifically spell out reasons for growing leaning of the Indian American community for Trump. But reports have linked to the Hindu groups in the US raising support for Trump through silent campaigns. Trump unleashed automated messages on social media platforms for the Indian Americans in the last few days.
Lately, India and the US relations have come under the shadow of alleged attacks on Sikh separatists. The US State Department on Diwali day expressed “concerns” at the deputy foreign affairs minister of Canada David Morrison naming Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah for linkages with attacks on Sikh separatists.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had skipped Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US last month. The US Justice Department had named key Indian officials for the failed bid to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
“Under my administration, we will also strengthen our great partnership with India and my good friend, Prime Minister Modi,” Trump concluded his Diwali message in an apparent bid to warm his electioneering from simmering heat in the bilateral relations.
Al Jazeera in a report quoted unnamed political analysts, saying: “The result of the presidential race may come down to a few thousand votes in these crucial swing states, where smaller communities – like Indian Americans – could play a pivotal role.” The Indian Americans are the second largest immigrant group behind the Mexicans in the US.
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