The White House condemned the harassment of a Muslim journalist who asked the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the human rights record of India.
The White House spokesperson on national security, John Kirby, addressed the harassment of Muslim journalist Sabrina Siddiqui in a press briefing on Monday, June 26.
White House Slams Muslim Journalist Harassment
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 22: President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi talk during an arrival ceremony at the White House on June 22, 2023 in Washington, DC.
As per a report by The Hill, The White House spokesperson slammed the online harassment targeting the Muslim journalist, which includes some of the high-ranking politicians in India who are allies of Modi.
The National Security Council spokesperson Kirby says the harassment over the human rights questing to the Indian Prime Minister is "unacceptable." He told the press they are "aware of the reports of that harassment." He continues, "It is unacceptable, and we absolutely condemn any harassment of journalists anywhere under any circumstances."
The White House stresses that the harassment that the Wall Street Journal journalist is grappling with is "completely unacceptable" and "antithetical to the principles of democracy that were on display last week during the state visit."
The Indian PM visited the White House last week, wherein United States President Joe Biden hosted. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre assured everyone that the Biden administration is fully "committed to the freedom of the press." And as such, they denounce any harassment or intimidation hurled against journalists.
The White House's condemnation of the harassment faced by a journalist who dared to ask Prime Minister Modi about human rights issues emphasizes the importance of press freedom.
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India's Human Rights Records
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 22: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi listens during a joint press conference with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House on June 22, 2023 in Washington, DC.
As Axios reports, Saddiqui, who covers the Biden administration, is facing intense harassment online from people in India, primarily targeting her Muslim faith. The harassment comes after the Wall Street Journal reporters dared to ask the Indian PM about the human rights record of India.
In a press conference with Biden and Modi last Thursday, June 22, Siddiqui told the latter that "there are many human rights groups who say your government has discriminated against religious minorities and sought to silence its critics."
The journalist asks the Indian leader, "What steps are you and your government willing to take to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities in your country and uphold free speech?"
NBC News reports that Modi answered the question. He says via a translator, "In India's democratic values, there is absolutely no discrimination, neither on the basis of caste, creed, or age or any kind of geographic location."
Modi's human rights record has been under scrutiny in recent years, with critics accusing him of presiding over a crackdown on dissent and religious minorities.
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