In the video, the heckler could be heard asking Krishnamoorthi, a three-time representative from Illinois, about “his views” on human rights issues in India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Congressman, what are your views on the RSS?” he is heard asking.
“Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has no answer for me”, Friedrich says, this time facing the camera.
Friedrich is also associated with other American organisations as well as a few Democrat lawmakers who have been critical of the Indian authorities' policy towards the Muslim population under the current government. Critics of the RSS, including Pakistan's former PM Imran Khan, accuse it of driving the "anti-Muslim" policies of Prime Minister Modi's government.
"We regularly engage with our Indian partners on these shared values (of human rights) and to that end, we are monitoring some recent concerning developments in India including a rise in human rights abuses by some government, police and prison officials", Blinken said.
“But we are also equally entitled to have views about their views and about the interests, and the lobbies and the vote banks which drive that. So, whenever there is a discussion, I can tell you that we will not be reticent about speaking out”, the Indian foreign minister warned.