'Lack Of Understanding': India Rejects Dutch PM's Allegations On Press Freedom, Minority Rights
'Lack Of Understanding': India Rejects Dutch PM's Allegations On Press Freedom, Minority Rights Published By, Last Updated: May 17, 2026, 17:50 IST MEA Secretary Sibi
'Lack Of Understanding': India Rejects Dutch PM's Allegations On Press Freedom, Minority Rights Published By, Last Updated: May 17, 2026, 17:50 IST MEA Secretary Sibi George dismissed Dutch PM Rob Jetten's concerns over the treatment of minorities in India, saying India was a "vibrant democracy" with free speech for all. Rapid Read Sibi George, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs. (MEA) India on Sunday flatly rejected allegations of declining media freedom and erosion of minority rights in the country, assuring that it is a “vibrant democracy" that offers space to all religions. The remarks were made by Sibi George, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, at The Hague, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded the Netherlands leg of his multi-nation diplomatic tour by officially elevating ties to a Strategic Partnership and striking deals in 17 key areas. In response to Dutch PM Rob Jetten’s concerns over the treatment of minorities in India, George said, “We face these kinds of questions basically because of the lack of understanding of the person who asks the question.
India 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." VIDEO | The Hague, Netherlands: MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George says, “In this Amritkal journey, when India is moving to become a developed country by 2047, we have several partners. And Netherlands is one such very reliable partner, and we look forward to working together. If… pic.twitter.com/w7u1bWaG1I— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 17, 2026 Religious Freedom In India George also highlighted India’s cultural, religious and linguistic diversity, saying there was no other country where four religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism – had originated. He also stressed how people from major religions found a home in India and thrived. “India has all the major religions in the world came to India. The Jewish religion was in India for more than 2500 years. Continuously coexisted. India is perhaps only one of those very few countries where the Jewish population never faced persecution.
This is the beauty of India," he added. He also pointed out that Christianity came to India much before Europe and had a 30-million strong community in the country. “Islam came to India during the time of Prophet Muhammad himself and flourished in India. Every religion. Whenever any part of the world there was persecution in the past, they all came to India and thrived in India," he said. Media Freedom In India The diplomat also affirmed that all citizens had the freedom of expression and freedom of the press in the country, which made India a “noisy democracy". He also cited the massive turnout in the recent election to highlight India’s democratic credentials. “This is the beauty of India. It’s a vibrant democracy. So, we need to have more understanding for people. See, when we talk about reforms and transformation, there was reform in India, there was India got transformed, and India performed. But it is also important for us to inform," he added. “We are 1/6th of the total population of the world but not 1/6th of the problems of the world.
This is the beauty of India, which makes us proud. So, every minority thrives. When we became independent, the minority population in India was 11%. Now it is more than 20%. Name a country where the population of minorities have gone up, you won’t find it other than India. This is the beauty of India," George said. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location: Netherlands First Published: May 17, 2026, 17:43 IST News india 'Lack Of Understanding': India Rejects Dutch PM's Allegations On Press Freedom, Minority Rights Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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