‘No room for discrimination’ in India: Modi amid rights considerations | Islamophobia Information

As Joe Biden hosts the Indian prime minister, rights advocates have questioned the Democratic president’s resolution to honor the Hindu nationalist chief.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, throughout a information convention with US President Joe Biden, denied that there’s discrimination towards minorities in his authorities.

Requested by an American reporter on Thursday what steps he was keen to take to “enhance the rights of Muslims and different minorities in your nation and keep freedom of expression,” Modi mentioned they didn’t want to enhance. .

“Our structure and our authorities and now we have confirmed that democracy can ship.” After I say supply, no matter caste, race, faith, gender, there isn’t a room for any discrimination. [in my government]” the Hindu nationalist chief advised reporters on the White Home.

“Democracy is our soul,” Modi, who hardly ever takes questions from reporters, mentioned by way of a spokesman. “Democracy runs in our veins.” We reside in a democracy, and our forefathers really put this idea into phrases.

as Biden hosts Modihuman rights advocates and a few US lawmakers are questioning the Democratic president’s resolution to bestow the very best honor of a state go to on a pacesetter who has led the world’s largest democracy for 9 years. Looked back In political, non secular and press freedoms.

Modi, as chief minister of the Indian state of Gujarat, was banned from coming into america within the wake of non secular riots in his state in 2002, during which largely Muslims had been killed.

Since he took over as India’s prime minister in 2014, the 72-year-old chief has been accused of passing anti-Muslim legal guidelines and implementing anti-Muslim insurance policies whereas presiding over his ruling Bharatiya Janata Social gathering (BJP). is doing These embody the citizenship legislation and the top of the particular standing of Indian-administered Kashmir, India’s solely Muslim-majority area, in 2019.

The United Nations Human Rights Workplace known as the 2019 citizenship legislation “essentially discriminatory” for excluding Muslim immigrants.

Critics have additionally pointed to anti-conversion laws that challenged the constitutionally protected proper to freedom of perception.

Muslim properties have additionally been demolished within the title of eradicating unlawful constructions, and carrying the hijab in lecture rooms was banned in Karnataka when Modi’s BJP was in energy.

India has dropped from one hundred and fortieth to 161st within the World Press Freedom Index this yr, its lowest level, whereas additionally itemizing the very best variety of web shutdowns globally for the fifth yr in a row.

In an annual report on non secular freedom, the US State Division additionally recognized police and vigilante violence towards minorities together with offensive statements by BJP members.

Reporting from the White Home, Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett mentioned Modi denied a few of the allegations towards his administration throughout a information convention with Biden.

“The US president is speaking in regards to the significance of non secular pluralism after which Indian chief Narendra Modi, responding to his crackdown on non secular minorities in his nation, specifically Muslims – actually denies a few of the accusations leveled at him. are and mentioned. That he embraces non secular pluralism, one thing the US president has additionally been eager to spotlight,” he mentioned.