US President Biden Will Not ‘Lecture’ PM Modi on Human Rights, Says White House

President Joe Biden may raise US concerns about human rights during his talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Biden, however, will not “lecture” the Indian leader, who is on a state visit, on the issue of democracy, according to a senior US official.

Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to hold high-level talks with President Biden on Thursday during which the two leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual and global concern.

In a media address on Wednesday, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan indicated that the US president would raise his human rights concerns with Prime Minister Modi.

We do it publicly. We do it privately. We do it in such a way that we don’t seek to lecture or stress that we don’t have challenges for ourselves…. And that will be the nature of the conversations that will take place here over the next two days,” he was quoted as saying by US media.

On Tuesday, a group of US lawmakers wrote to President Biden, asking him to raise “areas of interest” directly with Prime Minister Modi and discuss a whole range of issues important to a successful, strong and long-term relationship between the two countries. two countries.

“As longtime proponents of a strong US-India relationship, we also believe that friends can and should discuss their differences in an honest and candid manner,” read the letter, which was signed by 75 lawmakers, including Indian-American lawmaker Pramila Jayapal.

“That is why we respectfully request that – in addition to the many areas of mutual interest between India and the US – you bring Prime Minister Modi’s direct attention,” the letter said.

After the letter, a senior US State Department official said that the United States at every level, including the highest, had frank and constructive discussions on the issue of human rights.

As a true partner and friend in India, we talk (honestly) and constructively about our differences. We have regularly raised our human rights and religious freedom concerns with senior government officials. We do this in an atmosphere of mutual respect. “It is important that we support all pillars of Indian democracy – and to this end, we meet regularly with civil society and journalists,” said the official, who requested anonymity.

USCIRF also urged President Biden to address other relevant religious freedom and human rights issues in India during Prime Minister Modi’s state visit.

“With the upcoming state visit to India, the Biden administration has a unique opportunity to explicitly integrate religious freedom concerns into the bilateral relationship between the two countries,” said David Curry, commissioner of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.

(With PTI input)