with NJ delegation
A delegation from the Indian Overseas Congress-USA’s New Jersey chapter recently concluded a three-day visit to New Delhi, meeting top leaders of the Indian National Congress.
The delegation was led by Pradip (Peter) Kothari, president, New Jersey Chapter, and Harkesh Thakur, chairman, New Jersey Chapter. The delegation was in New Delhi
from March 1-4, 2026.
Calling it a distinct honor for the team to meet with senior national leadership, the press release said the primary objective of the visit was to engage with the Indian National Congress (INC) leadership to strengthen collaboration, foster cooperation, and plan joint events in the coming year. A key focus was securing participation and support from INC leaders for a major IOC event expected to draw over 10,000 attendees in 2027.
(The IOC is currently under the leadership of Chicago businessman Sam Pitroda, chairman of Global Indian Overseas Congress, Arathi Krishna, All India Congress Committee Secretary, and Mohinder Singh Gilzian, president of Indian Overseas Congress-USA.)
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Highlights of the Visit:
- On March 3, the delegation met Rahul Gandhi at his residence at 10 Janpath, New Delhi. Kothari extended an invitation to Gandhi to visit New Jersey/New York for the upcoming large-scale event. Gandhi accepted the invitation.
- The delegation held productive discussions with Mallikarjun Kharge, president of the Indian National Congress and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. They also met Anil Shastri, former MP and son of Late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.
- K.C. Venugopal, member of the Lok Sabha, hosted the delegation at his Lodhi Estate residence for in-depth discussions on various issues.
- Vivek Tankha, member of the Rajya Sabha, hosted a dinner for the delegation, attended by Dr. Aarti Krishna, AICC Secretary in charge of the Indian Overseas Congress. The evening included engaging interactions and light moments, including musical contributions from Dr. Krishna.
On March 2, the delegation conducted a well-attended press conference at Telangana Bhavan, Ashoka Road, New Delhi with approximately 25 prominent journalists. The session highlighted IOC’s recent achievements, outlined future plans, and included a productive Q&A.
Permanent Member of the Congress Working Committee Gurdeep Singh Sappal, also welcomed the delegation members and exchanged views.
The delegation also visited Rajghat to pay homage to Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi.
“The visit reinforced the strong bond between the Indian National Congress and the Indian diaspora through the IOC, paving the way for enhanced collaboration and impactful initiatives ahead,” the press release said.
“The Indian Overseas Congress is the international wing supporting the ideology and objectives of the Indian National Congress, dedicated to promoting democratic values, secularism, and the welfare of the Indian diaspora worldwide,” the press release noted.