India has strongly rejected the reported remarks of Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten on minority rights and press freedom in the country. While talking to the reporters, Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West) Sibi George stated that such questions have been raised due to less understanding of India. He asserted that despite having such a diverse population, New Delhi has ensured safety to all the minority groups.
George, on being asked about press freedom and minority rights, stated that India is the most populated country in the world with people from at least five religions. "These questions show a lack of understanding about India," the diplomat said. "India is a country of 1.4 billion people, the most populated country in the world. It is a diverse country in terms of culture, languages, food, and religion," he added.
The diplomat further stated that India remains one of the very few nations where Jews were not persecuted. "Jewish religion was in India for more than 2,500 years. India is perhaps one of the very few countries where the Jewish population never faced persecution," he said. "Christianity came to India even before it came to Europe. There are 30 million Christians today," George stated.
While it is unclear what Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said on the condition of Indian minorities, local newspaper De Volkskrant reported that he raised concern about the issue. As per the report, the Dutch government raised the matter with India on multiple occasions.
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However, Gorge clarified that the minority population in India has significantly increased in the past few decades. "When we became independent, the minority population in India was 11 per cent. Now it is more than 20 per cent. Name a country where the population of minorities has gone up," the diplomat told the reporters.