On 2nd August (local time), a journalist attempted to whitewash the Nuh violence and play up the Gurugram violence during the United States State Department press briefing calling it a ‘Hindu-Muslim’ clash. In her question, Reuters reporter Daphne Psaledakis asked US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller about the violence and asked if any Americans were impacted by it in Gurugram.
Miller, on his part, gave a generic response urging calm and urging parties involved to refrain from violent actions.
#WATCH | When asked about the clashes in Gurugram and surrounding areas, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller says, "With respect to the clashes, that obviously, we would, as always, urge calm and urge parties to refrain from violent actions. With respect to whether… pic.twitter.com/p6Vo1QaBJt
— ANI (@ANI) August 2, 2023
Psaledakis questioned, “Have you heard from any Americans impacted by the religious violence in Gurugram near New Delhi? And do you have any comment on the Hindu-Muslim clashes in the region?” Interestingly, she skipped to mention that it was Muslims who attacked a religious procession of Hindus and six have been confirmed dead as a result of the Nuh Shobha Yatra Attack.
Miller replied, “I would say of – with respect to the clashes that obviously we would, as always, urge calm and urge parties to refrain from violent actions.” Speaking on if any Americans were affected, he said, “With respect to whether we’ve heard from any Americans, I’m not aware of that. I’m happy to follow up with the – with the embassy.”
Who is Daphne Psaledakis?
Daphne Psaledakis is a US-based Foreign Policy reporter who has been associated with the news agency Reuters since October 2019. Most of her work on Reuters is related to foreign policies. It was a bit surprising that a question about Indian internal matters came from her as she has hardly any history of asking questions about India.
Interestingly, when she was working with Reuters as an intern in June 2018, Daphne Psaledakis wrote an article for The Wire. In Nuh Shobha Yatra Attack, The Wire is one of the frontrunners who have been trying to whitewash the wrongdoings of Islamists. The Wire has written a full-fledged report blaming Hindu leaders from VHP and Bajrang Dal for inciting violence. The portal claimed videos of Hindu leaders, including Bajrang Dal’s Monu Manesar, were the “immediate trigger” for the violence.
In another report, The Wire claimed the statements of devotees being held hostage at the temple were false. They also claimed the temple was not damaged. Both have been refuted with evidence by OpIndia in its Nuh Shobha Yatra Attack reports.
Reuters reporting on Nuh violence
There are two reports by Reuters on anti-Hindu violence in Nuh of Mewat, Haryana, reported by Sakshi Dayal. In its reports, Reuters has called it “clashes between Hindus and Muslims”. As per its 1st August report, the “clashes” erupted “after a Hindu religious procession passed through the Muslim dominated Nuh region in Haryana state”.
The first two paragraphs did not mention the attack on devotees and temples or Hindus being killed. However, Reuters did mention that a “mosque” was torched and its cleric was killed. The mosque they mentioned was not even a mosque but an incomplete disputed structure with an “Anjuman Masjid” board. The court stayed the construction on that land as it was illegal.
Furthermore, the report mentioned that “mobs roamed the streets, setting fire to scrap shops and vandalising small eateries, most of which belonged to Muslims”. Again, no mention of the attack on Hindus in Nuh. Later in the report, Reuters quoted a Nuh police spokesperson saying the clashes broke between two groups when the procession was meant to move from one temple to another.
The second report from 2nd August again mentioned a “mosque” being set on fire and a cleric killed. While it mentioned 116 people had been arrested in connection to Nuh violence but did not mention who these rioters were.
The next target in the report was the Hindu nationalist groups that staged protests against the violent attack on Hindu devotees in Nuh. Then came the usual “Muslims are in danger under the Modi government” rhetoric. The report read, “Many of India’s 200 million Muslims have started questioning their place in society under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government, with incidents including lynching Muslims on suspicion of transporting beef, adding to their fears.”
Anti-India reporting by Reuters
Reuters has a history of anti-India reporting. In April 2023, after the murder of criminal-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, Reuters was one of the international media houses that focused on his political career instead of showing his criminal background. He was painted as an “MP murdered in broad daylight” by the media houses.
In March 2023, the Government of India denied Reuters’ claims about new security testing of smartphones and a crackdown on pre-installed apps. The GoI called the report’ deliberate disinformation’.
In August 2022, GoI issued a press release refuting claims of media houses, including Reuters, that India was planning to import wheat and said there was ample stock.
