Congress criticizes government over release of US national Matthew Van Dyke

The Congress party has criticized the Indian central government following the release of US national Matthew Aaron Van Dyke. Van Dyke was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in March regarding an alleged terror-training case involving Myanmar.

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh questioned the circumstances of the release, noting that UAPA charges against Van Dyke were dropped on September 8, leading to his release from custody on September 24. Ramesh suggested that US diplomatic pressure may have influenced the outcome and questioned how foreign nationals were able to obtain visas to travel through India to Myanmar.

Congress leader Pawan Khera further alleged that VanDyke entered Mizoram without the necessary permits to provide weapons training to armed groups in Myanmar. The opposition has demanded accountability from the Home Ministry regarding national security and the handling of the case.