Washington: Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel, nominated by US President Donald Trump for the FBI, introduced his parents during his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Thursday, greeting them with ‘Jai Shri Krishna.’ A widely shared video shows the 44-year-old Indian-origin lawyer bowing to touch his parents’ feet before the proceedings began. Patel also expressed appreciation for his family, who travelled from India to attend the hearing.
“I like to welcome my father and my mother Anjana who are sitting here today. They travelled to get here from India. My sister is also here. She also travelled the oceans just to be with me here today. It means the world that you guys are here. Jai Shri Krishna,” he said.
Jai Shri Krishna…….
How @Kash_Patel began his speech at his congressional hearing after first introducing his parents and sister from India….. pic.twitter.com/U9ateObPvS
— Alok Bhatt (@alok_bhatt) January 30, 2025
Patel recounts childhood experience
In response to a question from Senator Lindsey Graham about experiencing racism, Kash Patel told lawmakers that he had encountered racial discrimination during his childhood. “Unfortunately, Senator, yes. I don’t want to get into those details with my family here,” he said.
“I was called a detestable — and I’ll apologise if I don’t get it all right, but it’s in the record — a detestable sand nigger who had no right being in this country. You should go back to where you came from. You belong with your terrorist home friends. That’s what was sent to me. That’s just the piece of it, but that’s nothing compared to what the men and women in law enforcement face every day,” Patel added.
Who is Kash Patel?
Kash Patel was born in New York in 1980 to Gujarati parents and spent part of his childhood in East Africa. He attended Garden City High School in Long Island before pursuing higher education. As per his Department of Defense profile, Patel earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Richmond. He later returned to New York to obtain a law degree and a certification in International Law from University College London in the UK.
Patel has previously served as the National Security Advisor and Senior Counsel for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). If confirmed, he would become the first Hindu and Indian American to lead the FBI.
