Democracy, human rights part of regular discussion with India, says Blinken

NT Bureau, Agencies: Davos Democracy and human rights are part of regular conversation between India and the United States, the country's Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.

Blinken made the comments in an interview with American political commentator Thomas Friedman at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

He was asked how rising Hindu nationalism in India might be tainting the country’s image of a pluralistic society.

Blinken said that Washington’s relationship with New Delhi has reached a new level due to the efforts of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the United States’ President Joe Biden.

“At the same time, a constant regular part of our conversation is the conversation about democracy, about rights,” Blinken said.

“The President took office wanting to make sure that we put back into our foreign policy these fundamental concerns about democracy, about human rights, and we’ve done that.”