Biden discusses human rights, press freedom with Indian prime minister

A senior White House official told the traveling media that the U.S. president spoke with the Indian prime minister about the importance of a healthy democracy

HANOI, Vietnam – U.S. President Joe Biden said he spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about human rights issues and the importance of a free press during his visit to New Delhi for the G-20 summit.

Biden stressed the importance of these issues at a press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Significantly, no press conference was held after Biden’s talks with Modi in India on Friday.

The official statement released after the meeting did not mention the human rights talks.

A senior White House official told the traveling media that the U.S. president spoke with the Indian prime minister about the importance of a healthy democracy.

The U.S. media accompanying Biden complained about the lack of access to the sites of diplomatic exchanges in New Delhi.

They had to wait until Biden reached Hanoi to ask him questions about his talks with Indian leaders.

When Modi was in the U.S. on a state visit, he participated in an extremely rare press conference with Biden in which he answered a question about his government’s treatment of minorities.

The American reporter was later attacked on social media by supporters of the Modi’s party.

The White House criticized the harassment as “unacceptable” and “contrary to the principles of democracy.”

Under Modi’s leadership, concerns have grown about the human rights situation in India, particularly regarding the treatment of minorities.

However, the Indian government has denied these allegations.

Despite these problems, the U.S. remains cautious in its approach given India’s strategic role in countering Chinese influence.

In addition, an economic corridor agreement between India, the Middle East and Europe was announced during the summit and is seen as a response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.