India Strongly Rejects Dutch Criticism of Media Freedom and Minority Rights
India Strongly Rejects Dutch Criticism of Media Freedom and Minority Rights India has strongly rejected concerns regarding press freedom and minority rights raised during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official visit to the Netherlands. The pushback came from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) after Dutch journalists questioned the Indian delegation at The Hague about purported remarks made by Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten regarding a slide in media freedoms and minority protections in India. MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George dismissed the critiques, attributing them to a fundamental "lack of understanding" of India’s deeply rooted democratic and pluralistic fabric. Key Rebuttals from the Ministry of External Affairs 1. Civilisational and Religious Pluralism Deep Roots: George highlighted India's 5,000-year-old history as a diverse civilization built on cultural, culinary, and linguistic variety. Flourishing Faiths: He no...