White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will not confirm whether Joe Biden will ‘press’ PM Modi on Muslim rights.
When asked if US President Joe Biden would urge Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “defend” India’s Muslims during a virtual summit in July, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre replied that he would not. But that the President had “no difficulty” discussing human rights with foreign leaders.
Mr. Biden is regarded as very candid
“He [Mr. Biden] has no qualms about speaking to leaders about humanitarian rights, liberties, and the significance of democracy.” This is something the President has done before.
“I can’t comment on what’s going to be on the agenda or what their dialogue will be,” Ms. Jean-Pierre said at a White House briefing on Wednesday.
She also described Mr. Biden as a “straight shooter” who speaks “quite honestly.”
“And when it comes to humanitarian rights, he has no difficulty having those direct dialogues—leader-to-leader conversations,” she explained.
The White House’s reaction to anti-Muslim sentiments in India
Ms. Pierre also questioned if the White House had any thoughts on Indian officials destroying the homes of individuals demonstrating against anti-Muslim remarks. She did not respond to the inquiry.
Individuals who allegedly participated in protests had their properties bulldozed, particularly in BJP-ruled states such as Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, as well as in Delhi, without the permission of the courts.
Mr. Modi has yet to make a public statement on the incident. On Wednesday, the Uttar Pradesh administration told the Supreme Court that the bulldozers deployed on unlawfully built sites, not in punishment for protest participation.
The Prime Minister and President Biden are slated to meet digitally during Mr. Biden’s travel to West Asia from July 13 to 16. The leaders will convene for a virtual ‘I2U2’ summit. It will include India, Israel, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Mr. Modi will also be present at the Group of Seven (G7) conference in Schloss Elmau, Germany, on June 26-27 with Mr. Biden.
