You would probably blink in disbelief if you read that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would hold a press conference. A presser is a rare occurrence in his nine-year tenure. While he showed up for a press conference in May 2019, he did not take any questions.
Naturally, when he addressed one in Washington on June 22, it became a talking point.
The American media claimed that India’s PM was reluctant to have a joint presser with US president, Joe Biden.
It must be noted that the American media can be scathing in criticism. Their no-holds-barred approach was evident in the way Donald Trump was made to field uncomfortable questions during the peak of Covid.
The Indian Prime Minister must have realised how unsparing the US media can be. According to reports, a
Wall Street Journal scribe broached the topic of human rights in India with Modi.
She is a prominent American journalist named Sabrina Siddiqui. A distinguished Muslim-American journalist, Sabrina has roots in Pakistan. She is a White House reporter who covers the Biden presidency.
Her question, now trending on Twitter, was, “What steps are you and your government willing to take to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities in your country and to uphold free speech?”
Although Modi seemed surprised, he maintained India hadn’t lost its democratic values. The basic foundation of the government, he reminded, has been ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’ which means being together for everyone’s growth and having everyone’s trust.
“Democracy runs in our veins. We have always proved that democracy can deliver and when I say deliver, this is regardless of caste, creed, religion or gender,” Modi said. “If there are no human rights, then it’s not a democracy. There is absolutely no space for discrimination.”
He added, “Democracy is in our spirit, we live it and it’s written in our constitution. So, no question of discrimination on the grounds of caste, creed or religion arises. The benefits that are provided by the government are accessible to all whoever deserves those benefits is available to everybody.”
Meanwhile, human rights activists have organised protests urging President Biden not to engage with PM Modi. They have used the hashtag #ModiNotWelcome, highlighting human rights violations and discrimination towards religious minorities in India.
According to reports, a coalition of rights activists working on India issues even opposed Biden’s decision to honour Modi with a state dinner and a formal welcome.
Yesterday, Vibes of India had mentioned Sabrina Siddiqui to be of Pakistan origin. We have confirmed that she is of Indian and Pakistani descent. She was born in 1986 in the United States.
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