During a rare joint press conference with US President Joe Biden on Thursday at the White House, Prime Minister Narendra Modi answered questions from reporters. In response to a query from the US media regarding the measures taken by the Indian government to safeguard free speech and defend the rights of Muslims and other minorities, Modi stated that “democracy runs in our veins.” The prime minister referred to the BJP’s frequently repeated campaign slogan, “sabka saath, sabka vikas,” to assert that the nation does not discriminate on the basis of religion or caste.
“We are a democracy…India & America both have democracy in our DNA. 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. That is why, India believes in sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayaas and walks ahead with it..,” he said.
Modi rarely answers questions from the media, with the exception of the occasional interviews he grants during his trips abroad. Following his election as prime minister in 2014, Modi has not participated in a single press conference. He showed up for a press conference in May 2019 but declined to accept questions.
According to White House national security spokesman John Kirby, the White House is aware that the press conference is a “big deal.” According to Kirby, the press conference’s structure featured two questions: one from the US press and one from an Indian journalist.
Press conferences held at the White House with other world leaders have been strictly regulated, with U.S. authorities appointing reporters from the domestic and international media in advance for Biden and his guest to call upon, and a relatively small number of questions.
After 75 US Senators and Congressional representatives sent a letter to the President highlighting their areas of concern, Biden came under increasing pressure from his fellow Democrats to bring up alleged human rights concerns with Modi.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for a private dinner at the White House. Following the dinner, the two men had an important one-on-one conversation.
It is noteworthy that US representatives Jamie Raskin, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will not be attending Modi’s joint congressional address because they believe that the “Modi-led union government in India has repressed religious minorities.”
