Silicon Valley Congressman Ro Khanna Defeats Pro-Modi Challenger
By Riaz Haq
Congressman Ro Khanna has won 65% of all votes cast to deal a heavy defeat to pro-Modi RiteshTandon in primary elections in California's 17th District that covers part of Silicon Valley.
Khanna angered many of his Indian-American constituents last summer when he criticized Prime Minster Narendra Modi's Hindutva politics and joined US Congress's Pakistan Caucus. Vast majority of Hindu Americans, including those in Silicon Valley tech community, are solidly supporting Mr Modi in spite of his Islamophobic legislation like CAA and his government's extended lock-down in Kashmir and brutal anti-Muslim actions in India.
California 17 Election Results
Incumbent Congressman Ro Khanna received 46,657 votes or 65.1% of the votes cast in CA17 District in the primary elections. His main challenger RiteshTandontrailed far behind with 17,337 votes or 24.2% of all votes cast, according to The New York Times.
Khanna thanked his supporters in a tweet yesterday after "beating RiteshTandon who ran on Islamophobia and right wing nationalism in India".
RiteshTandon, an Indian-American technology entrepreneur, said Khanna "has turned his back on our allies all over the world, including the nation of my birth, India by siding with India’s enemies like Pakistan on key security issues”, according to India News.
Khanna Rejects Hindutva
Congressman Ro Khanna (D-Fremont) tweeted the following on Aug. 29: “It’s the duty of every American politician of Hindu faith to stand for pluralism, reject Hindutva, and speak for equal rights for Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhist & Christians.”
On August 17, Khanna became the first Indian-American to join US Congress's Pakistan caucus headed by Democratic Congresswoman Shiela Jackson of Texas and Republican Congressman Jim Banks of Indiana. Khanna's decision to join Pakistan caucus came after he met Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan during his July visit to Washington. After his meeting with Khan, Khanna tweeted: "Honored to meet PM Imran Khan. We spoke Hindustani, and I shared that my grandfather, an Indian freedom fighter with Gandhi, always had a hope for reconciliation. South Asian Americans of my generation hope for peace in the subcontinent in the 21st century."
Pakistani-American Support
Congressman Ro Khanna has received support from the Pakistani-American community for his courageous and principled stand on issues affecting South Asia. He regularly attends community events organized by Pakistani Americans in Silicon Valley. I met him at a dinner hosted at the house of a Pakistani-American family that owns the local Mirchi restaurant in Fremont. He assured the community he would continue to work to address issues such as Islamophobia that affect Muslims in America.
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