Yesterday, President Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is making a state visit to the United States held a joint Press Conference (full transcript) at the White House. Reporters raised questions regarding India's treatment of religious minorities. Here is the relevant portion of the questions and answers:
Q So, as you raise these broader issues of human rights and democracy, what is your message to those — including some members of your own party — who believe that your administration is overlooking the targeting of religious minorities and a crackdown on dissent in India?
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, look, the Prime Minister and I had a good discussion about democratic values. And ... that’s the nature of our relationship: We’re straightforward with each other, and — and we respect each other.
One of the fundamental reasons that I believe the U.S.-China relationship is not in the space it is with the U.S.- Indian relationship is that there’s an overwhelming respect for each other because we’re both democracies. And it’s a common democratic ... character of both our countries that — and our people — our diversity; our culture; our open, tolerant, robust debate.
And I believe that we believe in the dignity of every citizen. And it is in America’s DNA and, I believe, in India’s DNA that the whole world — the whole world has a stake in our success, both of us, in maintaining our democracies. It makes us appealing partners and enables us to expand democratic institutions across — around the world. And I believe this, and I still believe this.
Q Mr. Prime Minister, India has long prided itself as the world’s largest democracy, but there are many human rights groups who say that your government has discriminated against religious minorities and sought to silence its critics. As you stand here in the East Room of the White House, where so many world leaders have made commitments to protecting democracy, 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?
PRIME MINISTER MODI: (As interpreted.) I’m actually really surprised that people say so. And so, people don’t say it. Indeed, India is a democracy.
And as President Biden also mentioned, India and America — both countries, democracy is in our DNA. Democracy is our spirit. Democracy runs in our veins. We live democracy. And our ancestors have actually put words to this concept, and that is in the form of our constitution.
Our government has taken the basic principles of democracy. And on that basis, our constitution is made and the entire country runs on that — our constitution and government. We have always proved that democracy can deliver. And when I say deliver, this is regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender. There’s absolutely no space for discrimination.
And when you talk of democracy, if there are no human values and there is no humanity, there are no human rights, then it’s not a democracy.
And that is why, when you say “democracy” and you accept democracy and when we live democracy, then there is absolutely no space for discrimination. And that is why India believes in moving ahead with everybody with trust and with everybody’s efforts.
These are our foundation principles, which are the basis of how we operate, how we live our lives. In India, the benefits that are provided by the government is accessible to all. Whoever deserves those benefits is available to everybody. And that is why, in India’s democratic values, there’s absolutely no discrimination neither on basis of caste, creed, or age, or any kind of geographic location.
