‘Grow up, Pramila’: Harmeet Dhillon hits back at Democrat leader Jayapal over ‘knitting’ jibe after DOJ exit | World News

Former US Justice Department official Harmeet Dhillon has hit back at Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal after the Democrat criticised her tenure at the department and made a sarcastic reference to her knitting hobby, telling the lawmaker to stop engaging in personal attacks and focus on her responsibilities as a public servant.Pramila accused the former official of weakening the division’s civil rights mission by targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes and pressuring states over voter registration records.“Harmeet Dhillon made a mockery of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division by attacking diversity, equity, and inclusion and bullying states into disenfranchising voters,” Jayapal wrote on X.“She will not be missed. Enjoy your knitting,” she added.Dhillon responded by questioning Jayapal’s conduct as an elected representative and describing her comments as bullying and trolling.“Grow up, Pramila. Bullying and trolling are not really the role of members of Congress. You are a public servant. Act like it,” she wrote.She also defended knitting as a useful skill rather than something to be mocked, saying it could contribute to a balanced life.“By the way, knitting is a skill. Acquiring some skills is part of a healthy, balanced life. I recommend this to you. No need to be hateful all day!” Dhillon added.The social media exchange followed Dhillon’s resignation as head of the Civil Rights Division, which Attorney General Todd Blanche announced on Thursday. She had held the position since April last year.During her time in office, Dhillon shifted the division’s focus towards challenging DEI policies, pursuing cases involving alleged discrimination and enforcing federal election laws. Her approach drew criticism from Democrats and civil rights advocates, who argued that the department was moving away from its traditional responsibility of protecting civil rights.One major point of disagreement was the department’s attempts to obtain voter registration data from states to examine potential non-citizen voting. Dhillon’s division pursued legal action against states that did not provide the requested records and sent election monitors to polling locations.Dhillon’s departure also followed a significant turnover among career staff at the Civil Rights Division. More than 75% of its workforce from the beginning of President Donald Trump‘s second term had left by the time she resigned, according to AP.