On Wednesday (July 12), Opindia published a report wherein it highlighted the list of French leftist publications, which are likely to sour PM Narendra Modi’s visit to France, cast aspersion on India’s democracy and its treatment of religious minorities.
The publications included Mediapart, Le Monde and Libération. And as expected, they published vicious pieces denigrating the Indian Prime Minister and his governance of the country.
Coinciding with PM Modi’s visit to France, Mediapart published a dubious report on the 2016 Rafale deal in the hopes of thwarting the 90000 crore defence deal between the two countries.
The leftist publication managed to find members of the Indian diaspora, who are supposedly ‘unhappy’ about PM Modi’s visit to France.
“Narendra Modi is this year’s guest of honour on July 14. Part of the Indian diaspora strongly criticizes this initiative by Emmanuel Macron. For them, it is a slap in the face to the defenders of an India that respects all its citizens,” Mediapart claimed in an article on July 12 this year.
Contrary to the expectations of the publication, Prime Minister was greeted with zeal and enthusiasm by hordes of Indians living in Paris. His address to the diaspora was well-received and the La Seine Musicale centre reverberated with chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai.’
#WATCH | France: A member of the Indian diaspora gets emotional after PM Modi's speech in Paris.
— ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2023
"I think it was a wonderful speech. I am very touched, it was a beautiful speech…I think he spoke from his heart…," she says. pic.twitter.com/bi3Khmr09E
For instance, a member of the Indian diaspora was moved to tears after listening to the speech of PM Narendra Modi. While Mediapart tried its best to suggest that Indians were unhappy about his visit to Paris, the plan backfired badly.
In another contentious piece, the leftist publication lamented that the official visit of PM Modi on ‘Bastille Day Parade’ will somehow ‘fuel the cult of personality around Modi.
It claimed, “France’s strategic partnership with India is old, but its implications deserve to be debated in view of the authoritarian involution of Narendra Modi’s regime.” Mediapart is the same French publication, which has earlier published several misleading articles on the 2016 Rafale Deal.
Le Monde cries foul over PM Modi’s visit to France
Opindia earlier pointed out how a leftist French newspaper by the name of Le Monde had been influencing public opinion about the Modi government by making false insinuations about India’s democracy and religious freedom.
“India’s democratic regression,” the paper published a propaganda editorial piece on April 24 this year. On Thursday (July 13), Le Monde published an op-ed titled ‘Narendra Modi has fostered state-sponsored violence for decades.’
It went on to claim that the French government has disregarded the ‘dismal human rights record’ of PM Modi while inviting him to the ‘Bastille Day Parade’ on July 14, 2023. The paper alleged, ” Since 2014, when Modi and his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), came to power, the public climate in India has deteriorated violently.”
It reiterated the distorted narrative of ‘Muslims being in danger in India’ and accused the Indian Prime Minister of targeting human rights defenders and journalists with sedition laws.
In another piece published by Le Monde, it claimed, “Once accused of complicity in the anti-Muslim pogroms that bloodied the then-state of Gujarat in 2002 – killing over a thousand people – he was banned from entering the USA for a decade. But for some time now, this unabashed Hindu nationalist with an authoritarian stance has been enjoying a warm welcome in the major capitals.”
Given that France has now bestowed Narendra Modi with its highest civilian award, we can expect the leftist newspaper to disseminate more anti-India propaganda.
Libération leads the way
In anticipation of PM Modi’s visit to France, the leftist newspaper Libération went overboard and published four different articles targeting the Indian Prime Minister.
“The Indian Prime Minister has been putting civil society under constant pressure for years and undermining the work of associations that displease him by depriving them of foreign funds,” it lamented the cancellation of FCRA licences of dubious NGOs in India.
In another article, Libération dubbed the growing ties of France with India as a ‘gamble.’ The leftist newspaper also provided space to ‘writer’ Shumona Sinha to rant against India and the Modi government.
It also managed to find a handful of anti-Modi activists, opposing his visit to France, and presented their views as the majority perspective.
France 24 makes its grand entry
Although it did not feature in Opindia’s initial list, the State-owned news network ‘France 24′ also published a contentious piece on the occasion of PM Modi’s visit to France.
“Leading French academic and Indian specialist Christophe Jaffrelot said Modi was in the process of deconstructing India’s democratic institutions in an article published this week,” it wrote, pointing out how PM Modi was invited in the shadow of nationwide riots.
Interestingly, former NDTV ‘journalist’ Sarah Jacob has been newly inducted into the English team of France 24. “I learnt today that many in France are questioning why PM Modi has been invited as chief guest for their Bastille Day celebrations, given India’s perceived weak record on human rights and press freedoms,” she had tweeted.
Sarah Jacob is yet to tweet about the grand reception given to PM Modi and that he has been the first Indian Prime Minister to be bestowed with France’s highest civilian award.
Just when PM Modi leaves for a state visit to France, in Strasbourg, the European Parliament discusses the 'situation' in Manipur
— Anti Propaganda Front (@APF_Ind) July 13, 2023
Apart from being a clear case of 'interference' in India's internal matter, it also exposes western hypocrisy & white supremacist attitude
Thread 🧵 pic.twitter.com/8da1GgxqlG
Coincidentally, France 24 also mentioned a contentious resolution by the European Parliament in its report, which has been rubbished by India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
“Amid the diplomatic courting of Modi, a resolution from the European Parliament on Thursday served as a reminder that he and his Hindu nationalist agenda have garnered critics at home and abroad,” the report read.
France’s State-owned TV network further quoted European Parliamentarians to virtue signal the Indian government about running their country. As PM Modi inks deals with the French government, the leftist ecosystem continues to whine and repeat their same old lies about India.
