Speaker Pelosi To Visit India This Week

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will travel to India this week, sources close to the Speaker confirmed on Tuesday.

The source declined to provide any details of the itinerary. However, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday that Pelosi will travel to Dharmsala, India, headquarters of the Dalai Lama's exile organization.

The Dalai Lama’s homeland of Tibet has been rocked by violent riots over the past week. Demonstrators have taken to the streets to protest Chinese rule, which has governed Tibet since 1951. On Monday, the Dalai Lama issued an impassionate plea to Tibetan citizens, threatening to resign if the protesters continued to use violence as a form of protest.

As of Tuesday, Pelosi had not announced any plans to meet with the Dalai Lama; however, she has been an outspoken advocate of the exiled Tibetan leader in the past. Last week Pelosi issued a statement criticizing the Chinese government’s handling of the protests saying: “The violent response by Chinese police forces to peaceful protesters in Tibet is disgraceful.”

Pelosi will leave Wednesday, according to the source, leading a large congressional delegation to discuss energy and environmental issues. Congress is currently on a two-week recess.

According to the source, Pelosi will be joined by Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), George Miller (D-Calif.), Jim Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.), Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), Hilda L. Solis (D-Calif.), Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and Rush Holt (D-N.J.) and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.).