Workers Strike Back! Activists Condemn Alleged Assault and Visa Denial of Former Seattle Council member Kshama Sawant by Indian Consulate

Seattle, WA – Activists have strongly condemned the alleged physical assault on former Seattle City Councilmember and socialist leader Kshama Sawant by officials at the Indian Consulate. The incident occurred after Sawant, along with fellow activists from Workers Strike Back, engaged in a peaceful protest against the repeated denial of her visa to travel to India. Sawant has been denied a visa three times, including an emergency visa request, despite her 82-year-old mother being critically ill.

The Indian Consulate in Seattle informed Sawant that she is on “the reject list” but did not provide a reason for her repeated visa denials. Meanwhile, her husband, Calvin Priest, was granted a visa, indicating that the urgency of the case was not in question. Activists allege that this constitutes political retaliation by the Modi-led BJP government due to Sawant’s vocal opposition to its policies, including the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and her advocacy for caste discrimination bans in the U.S.

During their peaceful demonstration at the Indian Consulate, Sawant and her fellow activists were allegedly subjected to intimidation, threats, and physical assault by consular staff. According to reports, the most serious altercation occurred when the activists attempted to exit the premises. Consulate staff allegedly blocked the door, physically confronted them, and attempted to confiscate a phone recording the incident. Even police officers present at the scene reportedly objected to the actions of the consular staff.

Workers Strike Back has called for mass protests and civil disobedience against what they describe as repression and attacks by both the Modi government and right-wing forces in the United States. They have launched a petition urging the Indian government to grant Sawant a visa to visit her ailing mother and to stop retaliating against activists and critics through visa denials and revocations.

Sawant is not the only critic of the Modi government to face such actions. Other notable individuals, including academics Ashok Swain and Nitisha Kaul, as well as journalist Aatish Taseer, have had their Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status revoked or their visa applications rejected. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have documented cases where the Indian government has allegedly used visa cancellations as a tool to silence dissent. A 2024 Amnesty International report described such actions as part of a broader strategy to “target and punish dissenting voices.”

Activists argue that the assault on Sawant, coupled with the political retaliation through visa denials, reflects an alarming trend of authoritarianism and suppression of dissent by the Modi government. They have called for solidarity among workers and activists across borders to challenge these repressive measures and demand justice for Sawant and others facing similar retaliation.