![\"Narendra](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2276012228...jpeg\")
Narendra Modi with Rob Jetten ahead of their meeting in The Hague (Getty)<\/p>\nYour support helps us to tell the story<\/p>\n
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Dutch prime minister Rob Jetten voiced concern about the erosion of press freedom and minority rights in India ahead of his meeting with visiting prime minister Narendra Modi over the weekend, triggering a sharp response from Delhi.<\/p>\n
At their meeting, Mr Jetten and Mr Modi, who kicked off his four-nation European tour with a two-day visit to the Netherlands on Saturday, elevated the Indo-Dutch relationship to a \u201cstrategic partnership\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mr Jetten was speaking to the press ahead of the meeting when he was asked about concerns over the state of press freedom and minority rights in India, according to the newspaper De Volkskrant.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not only about press freedom but also about the rights of minorities, who are under severe pressure. That applies in the first place to the Muslim community but also to many other smaller communities,\u201d Mr Jetten was quoted as replying by the paper.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe concern is to what extent India remains an inclusive society where the same rights apply to everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Mr Jetten, such concerns were \u201cregularly raised\u201d with the Indian government. <\/p>\n
Narendra Modi with Rob Jetten ahead of their meeting in The Hague (Getty)<\/p>\n
When Sibi George, secretary in the Indian foreign ministry, was asked about the Dutch prime minister\u2019s comments during a press briefing in The Hague on Sunday, he said such questions stemmed from “a lack of understanding” of India’s history. <\/p>\n
He hadn\u2019t seen the prime minister\u2019s remarks, Mr George added, and was only responding to the broader question of press and minority freedom in India. <\/p>\n
\u201cIndia is a country of 1.4 billion people, the largest populated country in the world. A country of civilization of more than 5000 years old. It’s a diverse country,\u201d he continued, \u201cdiversity in terms of culture, diversity in terms of languages, diversity in terms of food, diversity in terms of religion\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cEvery religion, whenever any part of the world there was persecution in the past, they all came to India and thrived in India. This is the beauty of India,\u201d the diplomat said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis question comes because of the lack of understanding of this.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the question of press freedom, Mr George said India was a very “noisy democracy” because “everyone has the freedom of expression, freedom of press in the country\u201d.<\/p>\n
![\"Rob](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2276105801...jpeg\")
Rob Jetten and Narendra Modi visit the dam Afsluitdijk in Den Oever (Getty)<\/p>\n
In a lengthy reply, he said that Jews in India never faced persecution, Christianity came to the land immediately after the resurrection of Jesus Christ and Islam arrived during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are one-sixth of the total population of the world, but not one-sixth of the problems of the world. This is the beauty of India, which makes us proud. Every minority thrives,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to the Indian Express, citing foreign ministry sources, the issue was not discussed during the meeting between Mr Jetten and Mr Modi.<\/p>\n
Separately, the case of Insiya Hemani, a Dutch girl abducted by her father and brought to India in 2016, was raised during the visit.<\/p>\n
The girl, just two-years-old then, was forcibly taken by her father, Shehzad Hemani, to India while she was visiting her grandmother in Amsterdam-Oost. A Dutch court convicted the father and sentenced him to over eight years in prison.<\/p>\n
Mr George said only that \u201cthis was raised by the Netherlands leadership\u201d and added that the matter was now sub-judice. \u201cI would not like to comment on this at this stage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
![\"Nadia](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2275909651...jpeg\")
Nadia Rashid, mother of Insiya Hemani, protests during Narendra Modi’s visit outside the Huis ten Bosch Palace (Getty)<\/p>\n
India is ranked 157th out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index released by the advocacy group Reporters Without Borders, remaining in the “very serious” category. The country dropped six places from its 2025 ranking.<\/p>\n
The RSF said press freedom was in crisis in \u201cthe world\u2019s largest democracy\u201d and blamed Mr Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party for rising violence against journalists.<\/p>\n
It also pointed to growing media concentration in India, noting that billionaire Mukesh Ambani owned more than 70 media outlets now, while fellow industrialist Gautam Adani\u2019s takeover of NDTV in 2022 marked what it described as the decline of pluralism in mainstream media.<\/p>\n