Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in New York Tuesday to begin a four-day state visit. On Thursday, President Biden will hold a formal state dinner for Modi hours after he addresses a joint session of Congress. The Biden administration is attempting to strengthen ties to India as part of an effort to counter China’s growing power in the Indo-Pacific region.

Modi is head of the Hindu nationalist BJP party. He was once banned from the United States on charges he did not intervene in a massacre against Muslims in 2002 in the Indian state of Gujarat.

Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. have announced plans to boycott Modi’s address to Congress. In a post on social media, Tlaib wrote, “It’s shameful that Modi has been given a platform at our nation’s capital—his long history of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, targeting Muslims & religious minorities, and censoring journalists is unacceptable.”

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this headline said Rep. Jamie Raskin was also boycotting the speech. In a statement Raskin said on Wednesday: “To correct the record, I am not boycotting Prime Minister Modi’s visit. I am going to my daughter’s wedding. Nor has the CPC called for a boycott. I signed a letter protesting human rights violations in India and hope that Pres. Biden will raise this serious problem with PM Modi.”