US Congressman urges review of arms sales to India over alleged transnational repression

A US lawmaker has called for a review of American arms sales to India, alleging concerns over transnational repression during a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill that focused on the issue and its implications for US national security.

Congressman Jim McGovern, co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to review India's eligibility for US arms sales under the Arms Export Control Act. He also called on Congress to pass the bipartisan and bicameral Transnational Repression Policy Act.

The congressional briefing, titled "India's Transnational Repression: Implications for US National Security", was held on July 14. It was organised by Equitas Forum USA in partnership with Hindus for Human Rights, the Sikh Coalition, the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF), the New York State Council of Churches and the Dalit Solidarity Forum, with support from the office of Congresswoman Summer Lee.

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Focus on transnational repression

Speaking at the event, Daniel Stanton, a former senior officer with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, said hostile states were increasingly using organised criminal networks to target people living abroad.

"They intimidate and coerce diaspora communities, threaten family members at home, recruit criminal proxies, and facilitate lethal violence against individuals living in democratic countries," Stanton said, according to PTI.

He added that transnational repression should be recognised as a pattern rather than viewed as isolated incidents.

Stephen Schneck, former chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), said the commission's 2026 Annual Report had, for the seventh consecutive year, recommended that India be designated as a "Country of Particular Concern", according to PTI.

Notably, India had rejected the USCIRF report, saying it misrepresents facts and "peddles a motivated narrative."

Calls for legal action and accountability

Several speakers argued that the US should adopt stronger legal measures to deal with transnational repression.

Allison McManus, Managing Director of National Security and International Policy at the Centre for American Progress, said strategic partnerships should not prevent governments from being held accountable, PTI reported.

Katie LaRoque, Director for Policy and Advocacy and Mark Palmer Distinguished Fellow at Freedom House, called for an official definition of transnational repression to be codified into US law.

Harjot Singh, Federal Policy Manager at the Sikh Coalition, said transnational repression was "not merely an attack on individual communities" but also an attack on US sovereignty, civil liberties and the safety of people living in the country, according to PTI.

Lavleen Kaur Madahar, Policy Associate at SALDEF, said the objective of transnational repression was to create fear that discourages people from speaking out or participating in civic life, PTI reported.

Ria Chakrabarty, Senior Policy Director at Hindus for Human Rights, who moderated the discussion, said that when a foreign government allegedly seeks to threaten, surveil, intimidate or harm individuals living in the United States, it poses a threat to the country itself, according to PTI.

Sarita Pandey, Director of Public Affairs and Advocacy at Equitas Forum USA, said no foreign government should be allowed to target people living in the United States without consequences, PTI reported.