Washington: Despite allegations of mistreatment from rights organisations and the State Department, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi refuted the existence of discrimination against minorities under his administration on Thursday during a press conference with US President Joe Biden.
During their conversations in the White House, Biden claimed he and Modi spoke about human rights and other democratic principles.
At the press conference, when asked what actions he was prepared to take to "improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities in your country and to uphold free speech," Modi said that such improvements weren't necessary.
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"Our government, our Constitution, and we have demonstrated the effectiveness of democracy. There is no room for any discrimination (in my government) when I say deliver — caste, creed, religion, or gender," Modi told reporters.
The State Department expressed concerns about how Muslims, Hindu Dalits, Christians, and other religious minorities are treated in India in reports on human rights and religious freedom, and they also noted a crackdown on journalists.
Biden was urged to bring up the subject with Modi, whose Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been in power since 2014, by rights advocates and dozens of Democratic Party lawmakers.
On Thursday, dozens of protesters gathered close to the White House.
"Modi needs to consider why that was the first query during the press conference. Everyone can see that there are violations of rights in India, according to Ajit Sahi, a demonstrator and the organization's director of advocacy.
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"Modi's assertions (that his government does not discriminate on the basis of religion) are a total fabrication. Raqib Hameed Naik, the founder of Hindutva Watch, a group that tracks reports of attacks on Indian minorities, claimed that India had turned into a "black hole" for religious minorities.
Political analysts said it is challenging for Washington to criticise human rights in the largest democracy in the world due to India's significance for the US in its efforts to counter China and the economic ties between the two nations. On Thursday, Biden treated Modi like royalty.
Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, the only two Muslim women in the US Congress, along with some other liberal lawmakers like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, boycotted Modi's speech to Congress on Thursday due to claims of mistreatment of Muslims and other minorities in India.
Sen. Bernie Sanders of the United States claimed that Modi's "aggressive Hindu nationalism" has "left little space for India's religious minorities."
Everyone can benefit from the policies of the Indian government, according to Modi. However, rights organisations have claimed that since Modi took office, there have been attacks on journalists, minorities, and dissidents.
India has dropped from 140th in the World Press Freedom Index in 2014 to 161st this year, its lowest position. For five years running, India has also topped the list of countries with the most Internet shutdowns worldwide.
A 2019 citizenship law that excludes Muslim immigrants was labelled "fundamentally discriminatory" by the UN human rights office. The removal of Kashmir's special status in 2019 and anti-conversion legislation that questioned the constitutional protection of the right to freedom of religion have both come under fire from critics.
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Additionally, Muslim-owned properties have been demolished in order to remove illegal construction, and when the BJP controlled Karnataka, students were not allowed to wear the hijab in class.
In an interview with CNN that aired on Thursday, former US President Barack Obama, whom Modi regards as a close friend, said, "The protection of the Muslim minority in a majority Hindu India, that is something worth mentioning."
