SHUBHRA
Sabrina Siddiqui is being hailed by the left and Muslim media in India as a hero for asking a tough question to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his press interaction at White House in Washington? Do you believe this narrative that Sabrina has dented the image of Mr. Modi? If your answer is in affirmative then I must say that you don’t understand politics in general and Indian politics in particular.
The Wire reported, “It was a rare moment in Modi’s tenure as prime minister when a journalist could pose a question to him, let alone on alleged human rights violations of minorities in India.” The report also says, “Twitter handles that are overtly pro-BJP and pro-Hindutva went after Siddiqui, labelling her as a ‘Pakistani Islamist’; some saw a conspiracy also in her employer allowing her to pose that question to Modi. “She only attacks India. Hate is in DNA of Pakistanis (sic),” said one such Twitter handle.”
The question Siddiqui asked was, “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. As you stand here in the East Room of the White House, where so many world leaders have made commitments to protecting democracy, what steps are you and your government willing to take to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities in your country and to uphold free speech?”
Mr. Modi, in response, expressed “surprise” that people thought minorities during his regime were being discriminated against. “Democracy is our spirit. Democracy runs in our veins. We live democracy…our government has taken the basic principles of democracy…we have always proved that democracy can deliver. And when I say deliver, this is regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender. There is absolutely no space for discrimination.”
The liberal anti-Modi camp started a social media campaign in support of Siddiqui while Right wing pro-Modi people hurled abuses at Siddiqui on twitter. BJP leaders claimed that Modi gave a befitting reply to a Pakistani while leftist claimed that her question has exposed Modi government’s real face in front of the world.
Now sit calmly. Sit down and look at the whole narrative build up.
Has Siddiqui asked something people did not know?
No. In fact USA itself denied Visa to Modi before he became PM of India. The very claim that her question has exposed him is baseless.
There is a claim that the question and its response has dented Modi’s image and could affect his election in 2024.
Are you serious? Which image are you talking about? Modi and BJP have never projected themselves as secular. In fact since 2014, secularism has become a taboo word in India. Those who want to talk of secularism use vague terms like Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb, syncretic culture or Hindustaniyat but the word secular is a big NO.
So what purpose does this question by Siddiqui serve?
Those who have watched BJP supporters closely should understand that they have been asking why Modi is appeasing Muslims in the name of Pasmanda. Madhu Kishwar and other influential social media handles have been criticising Modi for being soft on Muslims or sometimes as an appeaser. This question has rattled all those internal critics of Modi.
https://twitter.com/iHardikB/status/1672475115794350080
Now, the whole BJP IT cell and Hindu Right wing social media handle have come out in support of Modi thus reiterating that he is not soft on Muslim. Siddiqui’s question is not aimed at Indians to prove that Modi is secular. The question and its reply have assured the BJP voters that their fears are uncalled for and his actions against Muslims are visible to the whole world. The whole episode has benefited Modi. Without actually perpetuating any violence against Muslims he has successfully reinforced his image as a hardline Hindutva leader.
Even a layman in India can tell that by proving Mr. Modi, a non secular partisan Hindutva leader Siddiqui has done him more favours than the whole IT cell couldn’t have.
