The White House, on June 26, pushed back strongly against those harassing Sabrina Siddiqui, the Wall Street Journal reporter who asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi a question on democratic backsliding in India during a press event at the White House on June 22, following Mr. Modi’s bilateral meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden.
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The White House was aware of the reports of harassment, John Kirby, the U.S. National Security Council’s lead for strategic communication, said at June 26th’s White House press briefing.
“It’s unacceptable, and we absolutely condemn any harassment of journalists anywhere under any circumstances,” Mr. Kirby said adding that it was “antithetical to the very principles of democracy that were on display last week during the state visit”.
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Ms. Siddiqui was called on by Mr. Biden at a press interaction on June 22 to ask questions. She asked Mr. Modi what steps he was willing to take to protect minority rights, and the rights of Muslims and uphold free speech. Mr. Modi defended democratic values in India in his response.
Ms. Siddiqui was trolled online including about her motives and her heritage following the event.
“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,” Ms. Siddiqui had tweeted on June 24, with photos of herself in an Indian cricket team shirt and another of her (in Team India colours) and her father, watching India win the 2011 Cricket World Cup, as per the photo caption.
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White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated Mr. Kirby’s message shortly after Mr. Kirby’s remarks on June 26.
“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,” Ms. Jean-Pierre said.
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Ms. Jean-Pierre was asked if Mr. Biden had accepted Mr. Modi’s answer to the question on rights in India.
“I think that is for the Prime Minister to answer and for— for all you all to critique or write about it. I’m not going to discuss that from here,” she said, adding 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 Mr. Biden but also Mr. Modi. The Prime Minister rarely takes questions from the press.
People close to the process told The Hindu that it “took a lot of persistence” to get the Indian side to agree to a joint press event with Mr. Modi taking questions.
Ms. Jean-Pierre declined to provide details of the conversation between the Prime Minister and the President on human rights and press freedoms in India, saying only that Mr. Biden “will never shy away” from having those questions with another leader.
“...I think we have made ourselves very clear here, on our view,” she added.