What steps are you and your government willing to take to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities in your country and uphold free speech?“ Wall Street Journal reporter Sabrina Siddiqui had asked.

In response, Modi had given a wordy reply, downplaying even the possibility of any discrimination of minorities in India.

“We are a democracy… India and America both have democracy in our DNA. Democracy is in our spirit and we live it and it’s written in our Constitution. There is absolutely no space for discrimination on the grounds of caste, creed or religion”.

However, an inquiry sent by WSJ to the White House had said that the question had led to her being ‘subjected to some intense online harassment from people inside India.’ The statement added that some of the people targeting her were politicians and had been affiliated with Modi. WSJ also said that Siddiqui had seemingly been targeted on the basis of her Muslim identity.

“What is the White House’s reaction to the fact that a journalist posing a question to a democratic leader is getting that kind of a pushback?” the WSJ had written.

In respnse, White House Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said that the harassment was ‘unacceptable’ and completely opposed to democratic principles.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also condemned the ‘intimidation’ of journalists.

On her part, Siddiqui had to take to Twitter to post about her Indian background. She posted a photo of herself wearing the Indian cricket jersey and watching the 2011 World Cup, which was won by India, with her father.

“Sometimes identities are more complex than they seem,” she had written.