Washington:

Leading Democratic leader of Indian origin Neil Makhija said that the India-US partnership is the most important engagement worldwide and if Kamala Harris becomes the US president, the cooperation will further improve if she realizes the importance of the relationship.

The young leader, who is considered to be close to Harris, in an exclusive interview with PTI, also lashed out at former president Donald Trump for his immigration policy, which has triggered some concerns among immigrant communities in the US, including Indian Americans.

On the India-US partnership, Makhija said it is the most important relationship for the future.

“When you think about the US competition with China, when you think about Russia’s actions that conflict with the interests of the US and its allies, India is really the most important country for the US. We will continue to develop the relationship with its size and economic activities,” he said.

Makhija said the next US president must understand that India is a very important partner for the US in many ways.

“When it comes to global priorities like our defense, tackling global challenges like climate change. If the United States and India work together, they can lead the way. So we need a president who accepts that, and that person is Kamala Harris,” he said.

Makhija called Trump a threat to democracy.

“It’s engaging in the same behavior we’ve seen in some of the darkest moments in world history, when leaders scapegoated individuals and communities who didn’t even have the right to vote,” he said.

Makhija currently serves as the Montgomery County Commissioner and Chairman of the Board of Elections. He is the first Indian American Commissioner elected in Pennsylvania history, and many Democrats believe the young leader could be in Harris’ cabinet if she wins the election.

“You see him (Trump) blaming immigrants for all of the country’s problems, and that’s not real, it’s not realistic, it’s just meant to increase tensions and fuel divisions among people living here in the United States.” in question.

“Unfortunately, history is repeating itself. I hope the people of our country will realize what happened in the past and we can prevent a similar fate from happening in the future.”

In his campaign speeches, Trump promised radical change to tighten Washington’s immigration policy and vowed to carry out “the largest deportation operation in American history” if re-elected.

In fact, the Republican leader’s decision to end birthright citizenship for the children of immigrants living illegally in the United States has raised concerns among various diaspora communities, including Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

Makhija also appeared to blame the Republican Party for not increasing the H1B visa cap for Indians.

“When Kamala Harris was a senator, she sponsored a bill to address the H1B backlog. The problem was that Republicans didn’t support it and said they were in favor of legal immigration,” he said.

“But it’s clear that they no longer want any immigration and they don’t support immigration reform. They don’t support any of the bills that would provide a real path to citizenship for people who live here, work here and pay taxes,” Makhija said. added.

Describing the November 5 presidential elections as very important for the United States, he said that the country is at a crossroads.

“On one hand, we have a candidate who protects democracy and fundamental freedoms. On the other hand, we have a candidate who represents the past and wants to go back to an era when no one from our community was in the United States. Who would want to? To turn back the clock on fundamental rights,” he said.

“Their (Trump camp’s) belief is that the country should be a certain demographic zone. We think America is an idea, we think America is an idea where everyone can be successful, no matter who you are,” Makhija said. he said.

“The decision we make is, do we have a pluralistic, tolerant, inclusive country, or do we think it should be exclusionary and really serve a certain demographic?” he said.

“I think Kamala Harris represents a future that is more inclusive, tolerant, and meets the ideals that our country was truly founded on,” Makhija said. he added.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)