Clarion Desk
NEW DELHI — The White House on Monday condemned the online harassment of a journalist who had asked a question to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about ‘democratic backsliding’ in India during a press event at the White House on June 22. The Press meet was held following PM Modi’s bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden during his US visit.
The Wall Street journalist Sabrina Siddiqui specifically asked PM Modi what the government had done to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities in India.
The White House termed the online harassment of the journalist as “completely unacceptable” and “antithetical to the very principles of democracy”.
According to media reports, during a press briefing on Monday, journalist Kelly O’Donnell said that Sabrina Siddiqui had been “subjected to some intense online harassment from people inside India”, adding that “some of them are politicians”. The reporter sought the White House’s reaction to the harassment.
“We’re aware of the reports of that harassment. It’s unacceptable. And we absolutely condemn any harassment of journalists anywhere under any circumstances… And it’s antithetical to the very principles of democracy that – that – you’re right – were on display last week during the state visit,” John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council, said.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated Kirby’s response shortly after Kirby’s statement on Monday.
“We’re committed to the freedom of the press, which is why we had the press conference last week,” the Press Secretary said.
“We certainly condemn any efforts of intimidation or harassment of any journalist that is trying to do their job,” Jean-Pierre said.
When asked if President Biden accepted PM Modi’s answer to the question, Pierre said: “I think that is for the Prime Minister to answer and for you all to critique or write about it. I’m not going to discuss that from here.”
She further said that the Biden administration was committed to freedom of the press and that was the reason the White House thought it was important that the press hear from not just President Biden but also from PM Modi.
Wall Street Journal also strongly condemned the the online harassment of Sabrina Siddiqui in India by pro-Hindutva groups saying that she is “a respected journalist known for her integrity and unbiased reporting.”
Posing a question directly to PM Modi, Siddique had asked: “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?”
Modi expressed his ‘surprise’ over the question and replied: “Democracy is our spirit. Democracy runs in our veins. We live democracy…our government has taken the basic principles of democracy…we have always proved that democracy can deliver. And when I say deliver, this is regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender. There is absolutely no space for discrimination.”
Soon after, Pro Hindutva and pro BJP Twitter accounts went against Siddiqui, dubbing her a ‘Pakistani Islamist’ and raised conspiracy theories regarding her motivations behind the question. “She only targets India.” “Hate is in the DNA of Pakistanis (sic),” one such Twitter handle stated.
Pro-BJP websites such as OpIndia went even farther, reporting that she is the daughter of “Pakistani parents” and is “echoing the claims of Islamists.”
In response to internet accusations labelling her ‘anti-India,’ Siddiqui shared a photo of herself and her India-born father cheering on the Indian cricket team on her Twitter account.
“Since some have chosen to make a point of my personal background, it feels only right to provide a fuller picture. Sometimes identities are more complex than they seem,” she tweeted along with the pictures.
The Congress came forward in support of Siddiqui and lauded her for doing her job as a journalist.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to India on Sunday night from his visit to the US and Egypt.
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Cover photo: Wall Street Journal White House reporter Sabrina Siddiqui asks US President Joe Biden and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi questions during a joint press conference at the White House in Washington, on June 22, 2023. — Reuters