US slams harassment of reporter who questioned Modi about human rights

WASHINGTON: The White House has condemned the online harassment of Sabrina Siddiqui, an American journalist of Pakistani origin who asked India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his government’s human rights record during his visit last week.

“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 spokesman John Kirby said about the online harassment of Ms. Siddiqui, who works for The Wall Street Journal, a leading financial newspaper. Sabrina’s mother is a Pakistani and her father was born in India but raised in Pakistan.

Referring to Siddiqui’s online harassment by pro-Modi Indians, Kirby said, “That’s just completely unacceptable, and it’s antithetical to the principles of democracy that … were on display last week during the state visit.”

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the Biden administration is “committed to the freedom of the press, which is why we held a (joint) press conference last Thursday” with US President Joe Biden and Modi, during the Indian premier’s official two-day state visit.

During the press conference, Ms Siddiqui asked the Indian PM what steps he was taking “to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities” in India and “to uphold free speech.”

“Our Constitution and our government and we have proved democracy can deliver. When I say deliver, regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender – there is absolutely no space for any discrimination (in my government),” Modi said in response.

Before becoming prime minister, Modi was banned from the United States for his role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, in which some 2,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed.

Since taking office in 2014, he has faced criticism for aspects of his human rights record, including censoring journalists and stripping autonomy from the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir.

Following her exchange with Modi, Ms Siddiqui has been the target of online abuse, mainly from the prime minister’s allies in India. The Wall Street Journal responded to the attacks in a statement calling Siddiqui “a respected journalist known for her integrity and unbiased reporting. This harassment of our reporter is unacceptable, and we strongly condemn it.”