Muslims have found “safe haven” in India despite facing persecution in several other countries, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an interview with Financial Times, a British business daily. “Despite facing persecution elsewhere in the world, they have found a safe haven in India, living happily and prospering,” the Prime Minister said. “That shows that the Indian society itself has no feeling of discrimination towards any religious minority.”
The FT asked Modi about the future of Muslim minority in India, to which, the Prime Minister instead pointed to the economic success of Parsees, who he describes as a “religious micro-minority residing in India”.
There are roughly 20 crore Muslims living in India, thus constituting 14.28% of the entire population, according to government estimates for year 2023.
PM Modi had earlier this year in June, during his official State visit to the US, denied any discrimination against Muslims in India. At a press conference on June 23, Modi was asked what steps he was willing to take to “improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities in your country and to uphold freedom of speech”. He said they did not need to be improved.
Alleged Crackdown on Critics
When FT asked the Prime Minister about his government’s alleged crackdown on his critics, he had a “long and hearty laugh”, and said, “There is a whole ecosystem that is using the freedom available in our country to hurl these allegations at us every day, through editorials, TV channels, social media, videos, tweets, etc. They have the right to do so. But others have an equal right to respond with facts.”
Modi pointed to the long history of outsiders who came to India and underestimated its might. “In 1947, when India became independent, the British who left made a lot of very dire predictions about India’s future. But we have seen that those predictions and preconceptions have all been proven false.”
Those who today similarly doubt his government, “will also be proven wrong”, Modi adds.
The FT interviewed PM Modi after his party’s (BJP) recent victory in three states – Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh –, which has given a huge boost to the party ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
On seeking the third term next year, PM Modi told FT that he is “very confident of victory” thanks to a record of “solid change in the common man’s life”.
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