Modi says ‘no discrimination’ in India at first press conference as leader

While in the U.S., India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi was asked about concerns that his government was discriminating against religious minorities, particularly Muslims. 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took questions from reporters for the first time in his nine-year tenure, dismissing concerns about human rights and reports of discrimination against religious minorities like Muslims.

Modi met with U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington D.C., where the two took questions from reporters during a state visit aimed at beefing up ties between the two countries.

“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?” asked Wall Street Journal reporter Sabrina Saddiqui, who also asked about Modi’s commitment to democratic values.

“Democracy is in our DNA. Democracy is our spirit. Democracy runs in our veins. We live democracy,” Modi said in Hindi through a translator.

He added: “We have proved democracy can deliver. If there are no human values, no human rights, no humanity, it’s not a democracy. When we live in a democracy, there’s no place for discrimination. In India, there is no discrimination on the basis of caste or creed or age or any kind of geographical location.”

Modi did not, however, address religious discrimination – about which he was specifically asked.

His government has been accused by critics of fostering an environment hostile to India’s Muslim minority. He also steered clear of addressing specific complaints of crackdowns against political opponents.

Contrary to Modi’s claim, a Human Rights Watch report last year said that caste-based violence in India had been on the rise in recent years, particularly against members of the Dalit caste.