White House: Harassment of Muslim journalist over human rights question to Modi ‘unacceptable’

The White House on Monday condemned the harassment of a Wall Street Journal reporter after she pressed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his government’s human rights record.

NBC correspondent Kelly O’Donnell asked at a press briefing about the online harassment of Sabrina Siddiqui, a Muslim journalist, including by some Indian politicians who are associated with Modi’s government.

“We’re aware of the reports of that harassment. It’s unacceptable, and we absolutely condemn any harassment of journalists anywhere under any circumstances,” John Kirby, a White House spokesperson on national security issues, told reporters.

“That’s just completely unacceptable, and it’s antithetical to the principles of democracy that … were on display last week during the state visit,” Kirby added.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre added that the Biden administration is “committed to the freedom of the press.”

Siddiqui is a longtime White House reporter who covers the Biden administration. She was one of two journalists who accompanied Biden on a historic trip to Ukraine earlier this year.

At a press conference during a state visit to the White House last week, Siddiqui asked Modi what steps he was taking “to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities” and uphold free speech in India.

Modi said he was “really surprised” by the question and defended India’s democracy, saying “democracy is in our DNA.”

Modi, who rarely takes questions from the press, added there is “absolutely no space for discrimination,” pushing back on accusations that his administration has allowed violence toward Muslims to go unchecked.

Modi and his political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, have been criticized in the South Asian nation and abroad for pushing India toward Hindu nationalism. The country has seen a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment since Modi came to power, including communal riots in northeast Delhi in 2020.

In February, Indian journalist Siddique Kappan, who is Muslim, was released from jail on bail after two years without a trial. Human rights groups allege his arrest was politically motivated.