Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Wednesday slammed US President Donald Trump for his response to the Delhi violence and termed it a "leadership failure" on human rights. Widespread violence over the Citizenship Amendment Act or CAA that broke out in Delhi during Trump's India visit has killed at least 28 people so far with many more injured battling for their lives in hospitals.
When Trump was asked about the incidents of violence during his India visit, he had said: "I heard about individual attacks but didn't discuss that with (Prime Minister Narendra Modi). That's up to India."
Sanders, who is up against Trump in the presidential elections later this year, slammed him and said that his response to Delhi violence was a "failure of leadership".
Taking to microblogging site Twitter, Sanders said, "Over 200 million Muslims call India home. Widespread anti-Muslim mob violence has killed at least 27 and injured many more. Trump responds by saying "That's up to India". This is a failure of leadership on human rights."
Bernie Sanders is the second Democratic presidential nominee after Elizabeth Warren who has spoken against the violence between pro and anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protesters. Apart from them, several other top US senators have expressed their concerns over the violent clashes in Delhi that took a communal turn.
Earlier, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom had asked the Narendra Modi-led Indian government to take swift actions for the safety and security of its citizens. The commission said that the Indian government should provide protection to all the people regardless of their religion.
Delhi violence
At least 28 people, including a policeman, have died so far in the violence in northeast Delhi that spilled on religious lines after clashes between two groups supporting and opposing the controversial law that excludes Muslims while granting Indian citizenship to migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
On Wednesday, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval visited the violence-affected areas in the national capital and urged people to maintain peace and communal harmony. However, fresh incidents of violence were reported from Delhi's Bhajanpura, Maujpur and Karawal Nagar hours after Doval's visit.
