- By Ajeet Kumar
- Fri, 31 Jan 2025 04:52 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Washington: Former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who has been picked by President Donald Trump to oversee spy agencies, on Thursday alleged that Democratic senators are trying to foment religious bigotry against Hindus and Hinduism. She alleges that Joe Biden's party had accused her of being a "puppet" of many world leaders including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the incumbent US President Donald Trump. Gabbard rejected the claims and said she refused to become their puppet.
"Democrats have accused me of being Trump’s puppet, Putin’s puppet, Assad’s puppet, Modi’s puppet, but what truly unsettles them is I refuse to be their puppet," she said.
Tulsi Gabbard SLAMS detractors calling her a "puppet" of anyone other than God and the Constitution:
"Those who oppose my nomination imply that I am loyal to something or someone other than God, my own conscience, and the Constitution of the United States...The fact is, what… pic.twitter.com/FEPwyV4hFM— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) January 30, 2025
"Democratic trying to foment religious bigotry against Hindus, Hinduism"
Gabbard, 43, who was the first Hindu American elected to the House of Representatives, told this to members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence during her confirmation hearing for the position of the Director of National Intelligence which oversees all the intelligence agencies of the US government, including the CIA and the FBI.
After being nominated by Trump for this position, Gabbard has been slammed by several of her opponents for her Hindu faith. “Democrat senators in the past resorted to anti-Christian bigotry against some of President Trump's judicial nominees like Amy Coney Barrett and Brian Buescher. I condemned those actions as a Democrat in Congress at the time, as religious bigotry must be thoroughly condemned by all of us, no matter the religion,” she said.
No religious test shall ever be required...
“Unfortunately, there are some Democrat senators who still don't understand the principle of freedom of religion and Article 6 of the Constitution. No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States,” she said.
“Unfortunately, they're once again using the religious bigotry card, but this time trying to foment religious bigotry against Hindus and Hinduism, if anyone is sincerely interested in knowing more about my own personal spiritual path of Hinduism, I welcome you to go to my account on X, where I'll share more on this topic,” Gabbard said.
Kash Patel recalls the racism he faced in US
Sharing the same experience, Indian American Kash Patel on Thursday told lawmakers that he has been subjected to racism while growing up as an individual. “Unfortunately, Senator, yes. I don't want to get into those details with my family here,” Patel, 44, told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearing to be the FBI Director. If confirmed, he would be the first Hindu and Indian American to be FBI Director. Patel was responding to a question from Senator Lindsey Graham if he has ever been subject to racism as an individual.
“If you look at the record from January 6th, where I testified before that committee, because of my personal information being released by the Congress, I was subjected to a direct and significant threat on my life. And I put that information in the record. I had to move,” he said.
“I was called a detestable -- and I'll apologise if I don't get it all right, but it's in the record -- a detestable sand nigger who had no right being in this country. You should go back to where you came from. You belong with your terrorist home friends. That's what was sent to me. That's just the piece of it, but that's nothing compared to what the men and women in law enforcement face every day,” Patel said.
His family members, including his father and mother, who flew from India, were present at Capitol Hill during the confirmation process. “I wouldn't be here today without their guidance, their unwavering support, and their relentless love. When President Trump informed me of his intention to nominate me as the director of the FBI, I was deeply honoured.
“Sitting here today, I carry not only the dreams of my parents but also the hopes of millions of Americans who stand for justice, fairness, and the rule of law,” he said.
(With inputs from PTI)