IndiaPosted at: Oct 24 2026 12:47PM


Jairam Ramesh questions VanDyke’s release, contrasts it with arrests during ‘vote chori’ protests

New Delhi, Oct 24 (UNI) Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh on Saturday questioned the release of US national Matthew VanDyke, arrested on allegations of conspiring to carry out terrorist activities against India, asking why a foreign national facing such serious charges had been allowed to return home for four months while young activists and peaceful protesters were being detained during the opposition’s anti-‘Vote Chori’ demonstrations.
In a post on the social media platform X, Ramesh said VanDyke had been released on Friday and permitted to return home for four months. “Why has such liberty been extended to a foreign national accused of terrorism?” he asked, questioning what he described as a stark contrast between the treatment of the American national and the government’s handling of protests against alleged electoral irregularities.
Ramesh said youth activists and peaceful protesters had faced detention and arrests during the past month as part of the opposition’s ‘Vote Chori’ campaign. The Congress leader’s remarks sought to highlight what the opposition sees as a disparity in the treatment of a foreign national accused of serious offences and Indian citizens protesting over alleged electoral malpractice.
He also drew attention to the diplomatic backdrop to the case, recalling that the matter had been raised during US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to India in May. Ramesh noted that Rubio had visited India again during the current week, raising questions about the timing of VanDyke’s release amid recent high-level diplomatic engagements between New Delhi and Washington.
VanDyke’s release has brought renewed attention to the handling of the case, particularly the circumstances under which he was permitted to return to the United States temporarily for four months. The legal conditions governing his release and departure remain central to the questions raised by Ramesh.
The Congress leader’s intervention comes amid an intensifying political confrontation between the opposition and the government over the ‘Vote Chori’ allegations and the treatment of those participating in protests. By linking VanDyke’s release to the arrests of demonstrators, Ramesh has sought to turn the case into a broader question of consistency in the government’s approach to allegations of wrongdoing and the exercise of democratic dissent. UNI SKA AAB
Tags: #Jairam Ramesh questions VanDyke’s release# contrasts it with arrests during ‘vote chori’ protests
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