Joe Biden nominates Indian-American Vanita Gupta as associate Attorney General

US President-elect Joe Biden nominated Vanita Gupta, a respected civil rights lawyers in America, as his associate Attorney General and called her a "proud daughter of immigrants from India who has fought for greater equity.” If confirmed by the Senate, the 46-year-old would be the first woman if Indian descent to serve in this role. 

“As associate attorney general, the number three job at the department, I nominate Vanita Gupta. A woman I've known for some time. One of the most respected civil rights lawyers in America,” Biden told reporters in Wilmington as he announced some of the key nominations in the Justice Department on Thursday.

Gupta started her career at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Then on to the ACLU. And then to the Justice Department during the Obama-Biden administration where she led the civil rights division.

Biden said that she has always strived to fight for greater equity and has solved some of the pressing issues in the country with her unique approach earing applauses from everyone.

During the Obama-Biden administration, Gupta was put in charge of investigating the abuse of power in police departments in Ferguson, Missouri and other communities torn apart by acts of violence and racial injustice. Gupta helped establish police reforms to build greater equity, safety, and trust. She was commended for her work by both law enforcement and those advocating for changes in the criminal justice system, Biden said. Calling it a rare achievement he said that if her post is confirmed, she will be first woman of colour serving the post. 

He also expressed his gratitude towards her for quitting her current job with one of the premier civil rights organisations in the world to be with him as his associate attorney general.

In her remarks, Gupta said that there were not many agencies in the federal government like the Department of Justice that bears the name of a value. Gupta said that the department promises equal justice to all and not upholding it would result in erosion of democracy recalling the incident of racism she encountered as a kid.

“That feeling never left me of what it means to be made to feel unsafe because of who you are. I kept another feeling with me though too, and that is one that is ingrained that has been ingrained in me by my parents and shared by my husband, whose family fled violence and war in Vietnam and sought refuge on these shores,” she said.

She said that the white supremacist violence, disinformation and mob violence has a long history in America. The horrific events at the Capitol reminded that American democracy cannot be taken for granted, Gupta added. She further said that events reminded that it is people who have to uphold the Constitutional values and that Department of Justice has always done so and has to continue to.

(With PTI inputs)