Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that there is no religious discrimination in Indian society, particularly towards any religious minority in an interview with the Financial Times.
In response to enquiries about the future of Muslims in India, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the nation’s standing as the world’s fastest-growing economy. He dismissed claims from both domestic and foreign critics that anti-Islamic sentiments and hate speech have proliferated during his tenure since 2014.
“Indian society itself has no feeling of discrimination towards any religious minority,” stated the Prime Minister when addressing concerns about the Muslim minority. He commended the economic success of the Parsi community, referring to them as a “religious micro-minority residing in India,” who have thrived despite facing persecution elsewhere in the world.
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PM Modi said that he did not explicitly mention the country’s approximately 200 million Muslims during the interview. However, his remarks echoed sentiments expressed during his State visit to the United States in June, where he asserted, “…there is no space for any discrimination, caste, creed, religion, or gender, in India.”
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reiterated the Prime Minister’s stance in September during an event in the United States, stating, “I defy you to show me discrimination… actually, it has become fairer.”
Responding to questions about alleged crackdowns on government critics, the Prime Minister laughed off the claims, stating, “There is a whole ecosystem that is using the freedom available in our country to hurl these allegations at us every day…” He appeared to reference the controversies surrounding the BJP ministers’ “toolkit” and “tukde tukde” comments about the opposition, Financial Times reported.
Prime Minister Modi addressed concerns about allegations of his government dismantling long-standing secular and democratic traditions, stating, “It’s important to recognise India would not have achieved the status of the world’s fastest-growing economy if the issues you’ve highlighted were as pervasive as suggested.” Refuting claims of undermining Indian democracy, he highlighted the deep commitment of the Indian people to values like diversity and democracy.
Speaking to FT from his official residence in Delhi’s Lok Kalyan Marg, Prime Minister Modi also dismissed any speculation about amending the Constitution, declaring such talk as “meaningless.”