Tulsi Gabbard Throwback: When Trump 2.0 Pick Slammed Pakistan Army, Was Dubbed A Russian Spy – News18

Last Updated:November 14, 2024, 19:41 IST

Gabbard, who served four terms in Congress, has made several high-profile statements regarding the plight of religious minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh

Tulsi Gabbard, the US President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Director of National Intelligence (DNI) in his second term, has long been a vocal critic of the Pakistani military and its treatment of minorities, particularly Hindus.

A former Democrat and the first-ever Hindu Congresswoman, Gabbard is a decorated military veteran, with three deployments to war zones in the Middle East and Africa. She transitioned from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in 2021.

Gabbard, who served four terms in Congress and was a 2020 presidential candidate, has made several high-profile statements regarding the plight of religious minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

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Resolution on Hindu minority in Bangladesh

In 2021, she introduced a resolution in the US Congress to protect the Hindu minority in Bangladesh, condemning the repeated atrocities they have faced, Hindustan Times reported.

One of her most notable criticisms was aimed at the Pakistani military’s actions during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, where she accused the army of committing widespread atrocities against Bengali Hindus.

“Hindus & religious minorities in Bangladesh continue to be targeted & persecuted, as they have been since 1971 when the Pakistani army systematically murdered, raped & drove from their homes millions of Bengali Hindus because of their religion & ethnicity,” Gabbard wrote on X in April 2021.

Her resolution noted how, over 50 years ago, the Pakistani military killed, tortured, and displaced thousands of Bengali Hindus during the war. Estimates suggest that at least 2-3 million people were killed in the targeted violence against the minority community.

In addition to her focus on Bangladesh, Gabbard has been critical of Pakistan’s role in harbouring terrorist groups. As co-chair of the India Caucus in the House of Representatives in 2017, she condemned Pakistan for allowing its territories to be used by terrorists operating in India, Afghanistan, and other regions.

‘Russian asset’ allegations

In 2020, during a public feud with former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Gabbard was branded a “Russian asset” by Clinton. The accusation stemmed from Clinton’s remarks in a podcast hosted by David Plouffe, Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign manager, where she suggested Gabbard was being groomed by Russia to run as a third-party candidate, as per Politico report.

Clinton had claimed that the Russians were backing Gabbard, adding, “She’s the favorite of the Russians. They have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her so far and that’s assuming Jill Stein will give it up because she’s also a Russian asset.”

Although Clinton did not explicitly name Gabbard, a spokesperson confirmed the remarks referred to the Hawaii congresswoman.

Gabbard vehemently denied the “Russian asset” allegation and filed a defamation lawsuit against Clinton, claiming the comments were retribution for Gabbard’s support for Clinton’s rival, Bernie Sanders, during the 2016 Democratic primary.