Mumbai US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has refused to comment on the protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in India. He clearly said that this is an internal political matter of India and the Indian people have the right to take a decision on it. Describing India as a democracy, Rubio said that he does not want to interfere in the domestic politics of any other country.
'I am not going to get involved in Indian politics'
When asked about the protests against Gyanesh Kumar, Rubio said, “No, this is their internal political matter. I am not going to get involved in their politics. This is a democracy. Elections are held here, so I am not going to give any opinion on their internal political matters.” The US Secretary of State said that protests take place every day in America too. He described the peaceful demonstration as part of political discussion and differences of opinion.
He also distinguished between peaceful protests and incidents of violence, such as vandalism, forced entry into buildings and arson. Citing the example of Cuba, Rubio said that the opposition there does not have the same freedom to carry out political activities without fear of jail, repression or deportation. He reiterated that India's internal political issues will be resolved only by the Indian people.
Meeting with Adani and Tata chief, then leaving for Jamnagar
During his visit to India, Rubio met Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani and Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran in Mumbai on Wednesday morning. Detailed details of both the meetings were not made public. Adani Group is active in multiple sectors including ports, airports, energy, logistics and infrastructure. At the same time, Tata Group has its presence in the fields of automobile, steel, information technology, aviation, electronics and state-of-the-art manufacturing. The Tata group's investments in semiconductor and battery technology are also important for India's manufacturing ambitions.
Tour from Refinery to Vantara in Jamnagar
After leaving Mumbai, Rubio will visit the industrial complex of Reliance Industries in Jamnagar, Gujarat. It has the world's largest single-site oil refinery, whose total processing capacity is said to be around 14 lakh barrels per day. Vantara is also one of the major attractions of his tour. Developed by Reliance Industries and Reliance Foundation under the leadership of Anant Ambani, this initiative focuses on the rescue, treatment and rehabilitation of wildlife. Spread over an area of more than 3,500 acres, the center cares for injured, endangered and rescued animals.
Focus will also be on clean energy manufacturing
Reliance's proposed Dhirubhai Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex in Jamnagar is also important. Spread over an area of over 5,000 acres, the project plans to manufacture solar modules, battery energy storage, electrolyzers for green hydrogen, fuel cells and power electronics. The project aims to expand clean energy trade, accelerate India's energy transition and reduce import dependence.
America also eyes Venezuelan oil
Rubio's visit to Jamnagar comes at a time when India and the US are trying to increase cooperation in the areas of energy security, manufacturing and technology. India wants to diversify its crude oil supply sources, while the US is exploring Venezuelan oil production and market expansion. According to Rubio, as oil production in Venezuela increases, the US is in talks with Reliance to process more crude from there. Overall, Rubio's visit to India reflected a message of distancing from US commentary on Indian politics, while on the other hand, meetings with big business groups like Adani, Tata and Reliance put energy, technology and industrial cooperation at the center stage.