Ambassador Eric Garcetti's conduct raises concerns in India

Garcetti has derogated the integrity of India’s democracy, while defending the free speech’ rights of a designated terrorist.

- MAURA MOYNIHAN

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti is making head- lines again, not for improving India-US ties, which is his job, but for exonerating Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a designated terrorist with dual US-Canadian citizenship. Pannun threatened Air India, the Indian parliament, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a 31 March interview with ANI TV, when asked about Pannun and violent anti-Indian protests in the USA and arson at the Indian consulate in San Francisco, Garcetti replied that India had “different freedom of speech…Our system protects that speech, for better or worse…we are helping our Indian counterparts understand.”

Garcetti’s blithe dismissal of deadly threats against India, and his insinuation that India’s standards for public discourse are inherently inferior to those of the US, ignited a firestorm on social media. Indian citizens commented “are you a terrorism supporter?” “Do you think Indians are fools?” “According to this Guy threatening a flight of Air India is ‘Freedom of Expression’.” “What is the US president’s life was threatened?” On the Pannun case, India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Jaishankar stated: “The US ambassador will say what he thinks is the position of his government. The position of my government is that there has been certain information provided to us which we are investigating.”