By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden said he will discuss the issue of human rights with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, after activists and his Democratic Party’s progressive lawmakers urged him to raise the issue publicly.
“I look forward to discussing how we could strengthen our partnership and build a future together, worthy of both our peoples, one grounded on democracy, human rights, freedom and rule of law,” Biden said at the White House, seated next to Modi. The Indian leader, who spoke mostly in Hindi and appeared with a translator, nodded after Biden’s words.
Calls have escalated in recent days for Biden to publicly call out what activists say is India’s deteriorating human rights record.
Biden’s remarks did not directly criticize India or Modi. India’s importance for the U.S. to counter China makes it hard for Washington to criticize the human rights situation in the world’s largest democracy, analysts say.
The U.S. president rolled out the White House red carpet for Modi on Thursday as part of his effort to jump-start a stronger U.S.-India relationship.
The only two Muslim women members of the U.S. Congress – Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib – along with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, separately said they will boycott Modi’s address to Congress on Thursday, citing allegations of abuse of Indian dissidents and minorities, especially Muslims.
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders also said Modi’s “aggressive Hindu nationalism” has “left little space for India’s religious minorities.”
The Indian government says its policies are aimed at the welfare of all communities and that it enforces the law equally.
Since Modi took office in 2014, India has slid from 140th in the World Press Freedom Index, to 161st this year, its lowest point, while also leading the list for the highest number of internet shutdowns globally for five consecutive years.
The U.N. human rights office described a 2019 citizenship law as “fundamentally discriminatory” for excluding Muslim migrants. Critics have pointed to anti-conversion legislation that challenged the constitutionally protected right to freedom of belief and the revoking of Muslim-majority Kashmir’s special status in 2019 as well.
There has also been demolition of properties owned by Muslims in the name of removing illegal construction; and a ban on wearing the hijab in classrooms in Karnataka when Modi’s BJP party was in power.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington. Editing by Heather Timmons and Alistair Bell)
