SFI-UK Protests in London as U.S. Lawmakers Urge Action Over India

Members of SFI-UK staged a protest outside the High Commission of India in the United Kingdom, demanding electoral integrity and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstration took place amidst broader international attention regarding political developments in India.

Simultaneously, six U.S. Democratic lawmakers—Pramila Jayapal, Ilhan Omar, Jim McGovern, Rashida Tlaib, Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Jesus Garcia—urged U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to raise concerns with his Indian interlocutors regarding the alleged excessive use of force during student protests in Delhi and other parts of India. In a letter dated Friday, October 16, 2026, the congresspersons highlighted a pattern of repression, wrongful detention, and excessive force by security forces during these student demonstrations.

Furthermore, the U.S. lawmakers accused the Indian Embassy in the United States and consulates in other American cities of deploying photographers for the surveillance of protesters who were carrying out demonstrations in support of the Cockroach Janata Party. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit India the following week to meet with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Mumbai.