Democratic US Congressman Ro Khanna said that he “unequivocally condemned Hindu nationalism” during an X exchange on Friday (November 6, 2026). Khanna remarked in response to “liberal” Gaurav Sabnis, who asked Khanna to clarify his position on “Hindutva RSS Modi”. Sabnis also asked Khanna to explain his silence on what the former described as “what’s unfolding in India under Modi, from political prisoners to disenfranchising minorities”.
Khanna, who won another term in the US Congress in the recent midterm elections, replied to Sabnis, clarifying that he condemns “Hindu nationalism”. He further explained that he believes in the vision of pluralism of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru and that his grandfather was part of Gandhi’s independence movement
“I have unequivocally condemned Hindu nationalism & applauded the students in the streets speaking out against corruption and for inclusion. My grandfather was part of Gandhi’s independence movement, and I believe in Gandhi and Nehru’s vision of pluralism,” said Khanna, who is considering a presidential run. Sabnis predictably thanked him for his stand.
@gauravsabnis I have unequivocally condemned Hindu nationalism & applauded the students in the streets speaking out against corruption and for inclusion. My grandfather was part of Gandhi’s independence movement and I believe in Gandhi and Nehru’s vision of pluralism.
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) November 6, 2026
Khanna also said that he supported the recent Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protests that were disguised as ‘student protests’ in India. Notably, the CJP-led protests that started in the name of supporting students’ rights in light of the NEET paper leak turned out to be a part of a regime change operation backed by Opposition parties.
Pleased by Khanna’s response, Sabnis, a Modi hater, said that Khanna’s clarification was “good to hear”. ” Thank you. That’s good to hear,” Sabnis said.
The remarks of Khanna, who is a member of the Congressional Pakistan Caucus, are not surprising. He is known to have been close to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and has a track record of meddling in India’s internal affairs. He extended support to Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified from the Lok Sabha following his conviction in a criminal defamation case.
In the past, Khanna presented a distorted version of Hindutva to his American followers and claimed that it was opposed to pluralism. He refused to withdraw from the Congressional Pakistan Caucus even after Indian-American organisations urged him to withdraw from the Caucus. Notably, the Pakistan Caucus is an informal bipartisan group of members of the United States Congress who come together to discuss, promote, and manage relations and diplomatic interests concerning Pakistan.
Gaurav Sabnis’s hatred for PM Modi as well as Hindu culture is well known. Sabnis, who is an Indian-origin professor at New Jersey’s Stevens Institute, once publicly admitted to having been boycotted by his extended family for saying ‘mean things’ about Prime Minister Modi in the family WhatsApp group. Recently, Sabnis posted on X that he felt embarrassed after some Indian tourists cheered and shouted “India! India!” while visiting Iguaçu Falls, further exposing his loathing for the country.
