Watch: PM Modi Shuts Down WSJ Reporter Sabrina Siddiqui With Reply To Question On 'Improving Rights Of Muslims'

On June 22 (Thursday), Prime Minister Narendra Modi took questions from Indian and American journalists following his meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House in the second leg of his state visit.

Modi took a question from the Wall Street Journal's Sabrina Siddiqui, who asked him about "improving the rights of Muslims" in India.

"Mr. Prime Minister, India has long prided itself as the world's largest democracy, but there are many human rights groups who say that your government has discriminated against religious minorities and sought to silence its critics... What steps are you and your government willing to take to improve the rights of Muslims and other religious minorities in your country and uphold free speech?" Siddiqui asked.

"We are a democracy... India and America both have democracy in our DNA. Democracy is in our spirit; it runs in our veins. We live it, and it's written in our constitution. There is no question of discrimination on the grounds of caste, creed, or religion. That is why India believes in 'sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayaas' and walks ahead with it," the Prime Minister said in response to Siddiqui's question.

"Our government has proven that democracy can deliver, and when I say deliver, this is regardless of caste, creed, religion, and gender. There is absolutely no space for discrimination," Modi said, adding, "In India, the benefits that are provided by the government are accessible to all."

The bizarrely phrased question led to an uproar on social media, with both supporters and critics praising Prime Minister Modi's composed response.

Prime Minister Modi's response effectively addressed the concerns and criticisms raised in the question, leaving little room for further debate or counterarguments, many experts said.

Siddiqui, who was criticised by netizens in both India and the US for framing the question in terms of "improving the rights of Muslims", has since been retweeting comments from fellow journalists and far-left activists criticising Prime Minister modi's response to her question.