Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday pushed back against questions about his country’s human rights record, in a White House news conference alongside President Joe Biden.
“That is why in India’s democratic values there is absolutely no discrimination, neither on basis of class, creed or age, or any kind of geographic location,” Modi said.
Modi’s visit to the U.S. comes as some Democrats say Biden is turning a blind eye to India’s crackdown on dissent, including the detention of journalists and attacks on religious minorities.
Some lawmakers, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), plan to boycott Modi’s address to Congress on Thursday afternoon.
The administration has repeatedly said that Modi’s visit would include frank, private discussions about human rights, even as Biden aims to court a vital relationship in the region that could serve as a bulwark against China.
“The prime minister and I had a good discussion about democratic values, and that’s the nature of our relationship,” Biden said on Thursday. “We’re straightforward with each other, and we respect each other.”
