Hindu diaspora group condemns Trump’s move to take control of D.C. Police, warns of global authoritarian trend

By A Representative 

Hindus for Human Rights, a U.S.-based advocacy group of the Hindu diaspora, has sharply condemned President Donald Trump’s decision to invoke Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to assume direct federal control of the Metropolitan Police Department. The group said the move not only undermines local democracy in Washington, D.C., but also reflects a wider global trend of authoritarian governments consolidating power by weakening democratic institutions.

“President Trump’s decision to invoke Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to take direct federal control of the Metropolitan Police Department is more than a local power grab—it’s part of a global pattern,” the group declared. “Across the world, authoritarians consolidate power by weakening local democracy, exerting control over police forces, and criminalizing dissent. We’ve seen it in India under the BJP government, in Israel’s militarization of occupied territories, and in other countries where central authorities use ‘security’ as a pretext for repression.”

The White House has defended the rare measure, saying it was necessary to restore “law and order” as protests and unrest continue in Washington. But Hindus for Human Rights argued that such justifications mirror tactics used by governments abroad that suppress opposition movements and expand centralized power.

“This is not about keeping people safe,” the group’s statement continued. “If it were, the White House would be investing in the real infrastructure of safety: housing, jobs, health care, restorative justice, alleviating poverty, and grassroots-led violence prevention. Instead, the message is clear—critics will be met with force, and communities who do not align with the administration’s politics can expect to have their autonomy stripped away overnight.”

The organization drew on Hindu ethical traditions to underscore its critique. “In Hindu tradition, the rightful use of power is bound by dharma—a personal responsibility towards justice, accountability, and the protection of the vulnerable. Centralizing armed force without the consent of the people violates this principle and increases the risk of harm to those already targeted by systemic racism, poverty, and displacement.”

The decision has also renewed debates over Washington, D.C.’s lack of statehood. With more than 700,000 residents, many of them Black communities who remain unrepresented in Congress, critics argue that the takeover highlights the fragility of local autonomy under federal oversight.

Hindus for Human Rights linked Trump’s action to a global drift toward authoritarianism, citing the erosion of democratic norms in India, the entrenchment of military control in Israel, and similar trends in other nations. “Washington, D.C. is not a pawn in a political game; it is a community of more than 700,000 people – many of them unrepresented Black communities – who deserve full rights, representation, and the power to decide their own future,” the statement read. “We stand in solidarity with the people of D.C. and with communities worldwide resisting authoritarian overreach. Real safety comes from deep democracy—not from the heavy hand of repression.”