Sushant Sareen, Senior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and foreign policy expert, criticised US President Joe Biden's unexpected decision to issue a pardon for his eldest son, Hunter Biden, and slammed the US Department of Justice (DOJ) for "politically motivated actions".
Biden's pardon of Hunter, who was convicted of gun crimes and tax violations, has sparked widespread reactions and criticism from Indian experts. This has raised concerns regarding the independence of the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and its indictment against the Adani Group.
Biden's decision, viewed as a significant "U-turn" from his earlier stance, has reignited debates on the impartiality of the US justice system. Previously, Biden had vowed not to use his presidential powers to intervene in his son's legal troubles, asserting his commitment to the rule of law.
However, the President defended his recent move, claiming that the case against Hunter was politically motivated and intended to "break" him and his family.
The pardon has drawn criticism from multiple quarters, with President-elect Donald Trump describing it as a "miscarriage of justice".
Sareen highlighted the unprecedented nature of Biden's decision, suggesting it could be the first instance of a US President pardoning a family member.
"There are two or three aspects to this. First, in the United States, we have often seen that as a President's term comes to an end, they use their power to grant general pardons in specific cases, with no checks or balances," he said.
"Previous presidents have pardoned many individuals, including those involved in tax-related or other cases who were not even present in the US. Despite being outside the country for years, they were still pardoned. But in the case of Biden's son, this is perhaps the first time a president has extended such a pardon to a family member," Sareen told IANS.
Sareen also contrasted Biden's actions with the treatment of Donald Trump, arguing that the former US President faced far greater scrutiny and legal challenges.
He slammed the US DOJ for what he described as "politically motivated actions," citing the example of Indian industrialist Gautam Adani.
"This shows how the US DOJ is used to make baseless accusations. A similar accusation was made against Gautam Adani. If you examine the charge sheet and how the case was built, it's astonishing. The US, which calls itself a superpower, has fabricated a case so weak that it wouldn't stand in a country like Pakistan," Sareen said.
According to Sareen, the motivations behind such actions are geopolitical.
"The reason for this is that they view Adani as a significant obstacle to their global philosophy. They believe that if they can bring down Adani, they can also weaken the Indian government. This is particularly true given that Left-wing, ultra-liberal, or far-Left factions in the US are opposed to any support for Hinduism or India's current government," he added.
Sareen further pointed to the alleged involvement of international networks in efforts to destabilise India.
"There is also the involvement of the so-called Soros network. We've seen a famous video where George Soros himself stated that if they bring down Adani, they can also target the Modi government, aiming to create a rift between the US and Indian governments," he said.
The pardon has raised significant concerns about the impartiality of the US justice system, with critics arguing that such actions undermine the credibility of America as a global advocate for democracy and the rule of law.
Experts suggest this controversy may also have implications for US-India relations, particularly given the perceived targeting of Indian business and political figures.
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