White House condemns trolling of WSJ journalist for questioning Modi

Daughter of India born father, Sabrina Siddiqui asked Modi about the rights of minorities in India at press conference with Biden

The White House has condemned as “totally unacceptable” the harassment of a US journalist on social media who had asked visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the rights of minorities and freedom of speech in India.

“We’re aware of the reports of that harassment. It’s unacceptable. And we absolutely condemn any harassment of journalists anywhere under any circumstances,” White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told reporters Monday.

“That’s just — that’s completely unacceptable. And it’s antithetical to the very principles of democracy that — you’re right — were on display last week during the state visit,” he said.

READ: Hundreds protest alleged minority persecution under Modi’s rule (June 23, 2023)

At his joint press conference with President Joe Biden at the White House last week, The Wall Street Journal reporter Sabrina Siddiqui had asked Modi about the rights of minorities in India and what steps his government was willing to take to improve them and also uphold free speech.

“Since that time, she has been subjected to some intense online harassment from people inside India,” a reporter asked Kirby Monday seeking White House reaction “to the fact that a journalist posing a question to a democratic leader is getting that kind of pushback.”

“Some of them are politicians; they have associations with the pro-Modi government. And in part they’ve been targeting her because of her Muslim faith and questioning her own heritage,” the reporter said.

At the joint press conference Siddiqui had asked Modi, “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, in response, expressed “surprise” that people thought minorities during his regime were being discriminated against.

“India is a democracy. And as President Biden said democracy is in the DNA of both India and America. Democracy is in our spirit. Democracy flows in our veins. We live democracy. Our forefathers moulded it in words, which we call the Constitution,” he said.

“Our government runs on the fundamental principles of this Constitution. We have proved that democracy can deliver. When I say deliver it means there is no place for discrimination on the grounds of caste, creed, gender, religion,” Modi said.

In response to a follow up question White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday, “We’re certainly here, at the White House, under this administration, committed to the freedom of the press, which is why we had the press conference last week.”

READ: Jayapal, 75 lawmakers urge Biden to discuss human rights with Modi (June 21, 2023)

“We certainly condemn any efforts of intimidation or harassment of a journalist or any journalist that is just trying to do their job. And so, I just want to be very clear about that,” she said.

Asked whether Modi and Biden had discussions on issues such as press freedom and human rights, Jean-Pierre said Biden will “never shy away” from having those conversations with a world leader or a head of state when it comes to human rights.

“He has done that throughout the past two years and through his career as a vice president and certainly as a senator. I’m not going to get into private conversations, but I think we have made ourselves very clear here on our view. And I’ll just leave it there,” she said.

Jean-Pierre said the US was committed to the freedom of the press, which is why the joint press conference was held.

“We thought it was important for you all to hear from both, not just from the President, but also from the Prime Minister, and for journalists to be able to ask a question,” she said.

Meanwhile, the South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA) expressed support for Siddiqui in the wake of the online abuse against her.

“We want to express our continued support of our colleague @SabrinaSiddiqui who, like many South Asian and female journalists, is experiencing harassment for simply doing her job. Press freedom is the hallmark of any democracy and PM Modi leads the world’s largest democracy,” SAJA said in a tweet.

Siddiqui is the daughter of an India born father raised in Pakistan and married to a Pakistani origin woman.

A day after the joint press conference, Siddiqui took to Twitter and wrote, “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.”

Accompanying her tweet were two photographs in which she is wearing a blue jersey of the Indian cricket team, and an April 2011 picture with her father when India won the 2011 cricket World Cup.