Aruna Miller, the new Democratic lieutenant governor of Maryland, is stirring concern in the state due to her decade-long ties to advocates for far-right Hindu nationalist groups.
Miller, a former state legislator, assumed office last month alongside Gov. Wes Moore (D). Since then, activists and voters have sounded the alarm over Miller’s history of brushing shoulders with nationalist groups and dodging questions about her ties to a violent ideology that has long cracked down on minorities. She and Moore have also faced questions about collecting thousands of dollars in political donations from people sympathetic to Hindutva, a far-right nationalist ideology that mirrors white supremacy.
The Moore-Miller campaign site said there was “not one dollar in this campaign that has anything to do with the Hindutva movement or international politics.” But activists and voters told HuffPost that they’re concerned Miller’s political career seems to have benefited from donors and other supporters with strong ties to far-right Hindu nationalist groups. Miller’s capacity to win her race and enter public office, they said, signals an ominous trend of questionable donations in Democratic races and the potentially dangerous impact on marginalized communities in the U.S.
“It’s bigger than [Miller]. It’s an example of how there’s an encroachment into the Democratic Party by a fascist entity,” said Susan Kerin, the chapter chair for Peace Action Montgomery, the local chapter of the human rights advocacy group Peace Action. “[Miller’s case] is a little bit more egregious, but it’s really something that we have to watch out for.”
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