There is no space for discrimination in India and “democracy is in our spirit”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden in Washington, when asked about the steps his government is willing to take to “improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities in your country and to uphold free speech”.
Hours after Modi’s remarks, a New York Times newsletter noted that the statement was “in line with what his government usually says when facing criticism. His government has hounded opponents in a way that has raised fears of an authoritarian turn in India. But it’s vanishingly rare for Modi himself to directly field live questions from the press…”
