PM Modi, US President Joe Biden to address media, White House says ‘big deal’
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said one question would be asked from the US press and one from an Indian journalist.
- Jun 22, 2023,
- Updated Jun 22, 2023 3:11 PM IST
PM Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden will participate in a joint press conference and answer queries from journalists after the briefing which is scheduled on Thursday.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby described the joint presser as a "big deal".
“We are just grateful that PM Modi is participating in a joint press event at the end of the visit. We think that's important and we're glad he thinks that's important too," Kirby was quoted by Reuters.
He said one question would be asked from the US press and one from an Indian journalist.
It is important to note that PM Modi has agreed to take questions from the media, beyond occasional interviews. He has not addressed a single press conference in India since becoming prime minister in 2014. In May 2019, he attended a press conference but never took questions from the media.
PM Modi arrived in the US on Tuesday to begin his four-day State visit. President Biden has been under pressure from his fellow Democrats to raise concerns around democratic norms and human rights in India with Modi.
More than 70 American senators and representatives have written to Biden.
“A series of independent, credible reports reflect troubling signs in India toward the shrinking of political space, the rise of religious intolerance, the targeting of civil society organizations and journalists, and growing restrictions on press freedoms and internet access,” the lawmakers wrote, citing a number of reports and statistics such as rankings for press and religious freedoms.
The letter noted that India and US “share a special bond through moral leaders who shaped our histories” and cited the esteem with which Mahatma Gandhi and US civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. are held in India and the US, respectively.
The letter was authored by Indian-origin Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (Democrat, Washington) and Senator Chris van Hollen (Democrat, Maryland).
Human rights could be one topic of the press conference that could take centrestage on June 22.
When media asked US national security adviser Jake Sullivan about Biden's discussion with Modi regarding this issue, he said Biden will not “lecture” PM Modi on democracy.
Sullivan told reporters that President Biden is expected to raise America's concerns about India's recent democratic record but in a way that the US doesn't seek to “lecture or assert that we don’t have challenges ourselves.”
India has consistently rejected criticism of its human rights record, and in the context of the US, blamed it on “votebank politics” and fake information based on inputs by actors with dubious links.
PM Modi has visited the US five times since he took office in 2014. The current trip is his first with full diplomatic status of a state visit.
(With agency inputs)
Also read: PM Modi in US: Know more about Patel Red Wine that will be served at White House State dinner
PM Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden will participate in a joint press conference and answer queries from journalists after the briefing which is scheduled on Thursday.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby described the joint presser as a "big deal".
“We are just grateful that PM Modi is participating in a joint press event at the end of the visit. We think that's important and we're glad he thinks that's important too," Kirby was quoted by Reuters.
He said one question would be asked from the US press and one from an Indian journalist.
It is important to note that PM Modi has agreed to take questions from the media, beyond occasional interviews. He has not addressed a single press conference in India since becoming prime minister in 2014. In May 2019, he attended a press conference but never took questions from the media.
PM Modi arrived in the US on Tuesday to begin his four-day State visit. President Biden has been under pressure from his fellow Democrats to raise concerns around democratic norms and human rights in India with Modi.
More than 70 American senators and representatives have written to Biden.
“A series of independent, credible reports reflect troubling signs in India toward the shrinking of political space, the rise of religious intolerance, the targeting of civil society organizations and journalists, and growing restrictions on press freedoms and internet access,” the lawmakers wrote, citing a number of reports and statistics such as rankings for press and religious freedoms.
The letter noted that India and US “share a special bond through moral leaders who shaped our histories” and cited the esteem with which Mahatma Gandhi and US civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. are held in India and the US, respectively.
The letter was authored by Indian-origin Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (Democrat, Washington) and Senator Chris van Hollen (Democrat, Maryland).
Human rights could be one topic of the press conference that could take centrestage on June 22.
When media asked US national security adviser Jake Sullivan about Biden's discussion with Modi regarding this issue, he said Biden will not “lecture” PM Modi on democracy.
Sullivan told reporters that President Biden is expected to raise America's concerns about India's recent democratic record but in a way that the US doesn't seek to “lecture or assert that we don’t have challenges ourselves.”
India has consistently rejected criticism of its human rights record, and in the context of the US, blamed it on “votebank politics” and fake information based on inputs by actors with dubious links.
PM Modi has visited the US five times since he took office in 2014. The current trip is his first with full diplomatic status of a state visit.
(With agency inputs)
Also read: PM Modi in US: Know more about Patel Red Wine that will be served at White House State dinner