G20 over, Modi waves to cameras, Biden answers queries even after staff ends Vietnam press conference

After finishing off all bilateral meetings at the end of the G20 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the international media centre at the event venue on Sunday evening. But not for a press conference – he just walked around an enclosed area, waving to a sea of media persons and cameras.

Access to journalists has repeatedly come up as an issue during the G20. 

First, US government officials claimed that the Indian government denied their requests for more media access during US president Joe Biden’s visit to Delhi. And then Reuters reported that the US press corps was sequestered in a van, out of sight of Biden and Modi when they met on September 8. The report termed it an “unusual situation for the reporters and photographers who follow the US president at home and around the world to witness and record his public appearances”.

Meanwhile, Biden landed in Vietnam as part of his international tour, holding a press conference right at the start. And even though he had promised to take five questions, he continued to respond to others.

CNN reported that White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had to abruptly end the press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, taking a microphone and announcing the event had concluded even as the president was still answering questions from reporters in the room. Biden remained on stage briefly following her announcement, responding to one additional question, though his full answer was inaudible.

At the press conference, Biden thanked Modi for hosting the G20. “As I always do, I raised the importance of respecting human rights and the vital role the civil society and a free press have in building a strong and prosperous country with Modi.”

This comes over two months after Modi’s US state visit, when CNN reported that the Indian side was initially reluctant about a press conference and had pushed the idea of a joint statement.

PM Modi and Biden took two questions during a joint press conference in Washington in June. A senior White House official had called it a “big deal”, according to reports.

At the press conference, Wall Street Journal reporter Sabrina Siddiqui had asked PM Modi about free speech and rights of religious minorities. After she was trolled online, the White House had strongly condemned her harassment and termed it “unacceptable” and “antithetical to democracy”.

The press conference took place days after Modi’s rare interview with a foreign media outlet – the Wall Street Journal. The WSJ report had pointed out that Modi “gives many speeches but fewer news conferences and interviews”. PM Modi has earlier been accused of giving “scripted” interviews to Indian media outlets.