The last flashpoint<\/p>\n
The incident is the latest episode in a tour that has been shadowed by questions about press freedom. The more serious flashpoint came days earlier, during Modi\u2019s stop in The Hague. The stated purpose of the visit \u2013 elevating bilateral ties to a strategic partnership anchored in trade, defence, and semiconductor technology \u2013 seemed to be overshadowed by a press briefing that exposed the fragility of New Delhi\u2019s international communications apparatus.<\/p>\n
Before Modi arrived at the official Dutch PM\u2019s residence, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten told local reporters that the Netherlands and other EU member states held concerns about developments in India under Modi\u2019s BJP.<\/p>\n
Those concerns were then pressed directly onto the record by Ashwant Nandram of De Volkskrant at the official media briefing, as detailed by The Wire<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a journalist for the Dutch newspaper, De Volkskrant. I have a few questions. In the Netherlands, there is a tradition that after such a visit, both Prime Ministers are available for questions. I wonder what the reason is that that is not the case today. Another thing is that today during a statement of Prime Minister Jetten, he said that the Netherlands and the European Union are worried about, he said, press freedom and minority rights, among them the Muslim community and smaller communities. I wonder what the response is of the Indian government,\u201d the journalist asked.<\/p>\n The Ministry of External Affairs\u2019 Secretary (West), Sibi George, responded<\/a> by impugning the questioner\u2019s knowledge. \u201cWe face these kinds of questions basically because of the lack of understanding of the person who asked the question,\u201d he said, before pivoting to familiar talking points: 1.4 billion people, 900 million smartphones, soaring voter turnouts, and a \u201c5,000-year-old pluralistic heritage\u201d.<\/p>\n The strategy unravelled. Merel Thie of NRC pointed out that the concerns Nandram had raised were his prime minister\u2019s.<\/p>\n \u201cMy name is Merel Thie and I\u2019m from the Dutch newspaper NRC. And as you were referring to my colleague, he was actually citing our Prime Minister who said he was worried about minorities and press freedom in India. So, does it upset you when our Prime Minister says this?\u201d<\/p>\n George held his ground<\/a>: \u201cNo, I was giving the factual position of that. So that remains to be the factual position. You need to have more understanding of India to appreciate what India is.\u201d<\/p>\n Thie pressed further: \u201cSo, Prime Minister [Jetten] should have more understanding because it\u2019s not something we say.\u201d<\/p>\n George\u2019s response appeared to be a retreat: \u201cI haven\u2019t seen that statement. I am referring to the question which, you know, about that topic which was raised about the freedom and I think I have clarified how beautiful a country India is. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n A pattern<\/p>\n The Norway and Netherlands episodes are consistent with a communications posture Modi has maintained throughout his more than a decade in power: no open, unscripted press conferences, at home or abroad.<\/p>\n The last time Modi answered questions at an open bilateral press conference was his 2023 White House visit. When the Biden administration announced a joint press conference, a White House official described it to Reuters as a \u201cbig deal,\u201d given Modi\u2019s avoidance of press questions.<\/p>\n