Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Trump Praises Modi's Efforts On Religious Freedom In India

At his press conference (full text) in New Delhi, India yesterday, President Donald Trump responded to a question about religious freedom in India:
Q    While you’ve been here in the country, in the capital, the northeast part of Delhi, there have been violent clashes.  Police have been killed, some demonstrators.  Nine deaths so far, we hear, and about 100-plus injured.  What did Prime Minister Modi say to you about this amended citizenship law?  And how concerned are you about this kind of religious violence in India?
THE PRESIDENT:  So, we did talk about religious freedom.  And I will say that the Prime Minister was incredible on what he told me.  He wants people to have religious freedom, and very strongly.  And he said that in India they have — they have worked very hard to have great and open religious freedom.  And if you look back and look at what’s going on, relative to other places especially, but they have really worked hard on religious freedom.
I asked that question in front of a very large group of people today.  And he talked about it; we talked about it for a long time.  And I really believe that’s what he wants.
As far as the individual attack, I heard about it but I didn’t discuss that with him.  That’s up to India.
The Hill reports on these remarks.