“This only furthers the idea that the Indian government isn’t willing to listen to any dissent at all,” she said. Jaishankar’s decision to cancel the meeting surprised analysts, who said it cuts against his reputation as a skilled statesman in times of turmoil. “It’s a missed opportunity,” said Ashley Tellis, an India scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “We care deeply and always will about protecting minorities, protecting religious rights everywhere,” Pompeo said at a news conference. A senior State Department official declined to say whether the citizenship law came up during discussions involving Pompeo, Jaishankar and India’s defense minister.

Source: Washington Post December 19, 2019 21:22 UTC