New Delhi: Indian Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, has given a rebutting reply to the distasteful comments on Prime Minister Modi and India made by former US President, Barack Obama. She pulled up Obama’s own track record about his treatment to Muslims in Islamic countries under his watch as US President.
Nirmala Sitharaman said, “I was shocked. When PM Modi was campaigning in the US – and by campaigning I mean speaking about India – a former President of the US is speaking about Indian Muslims.”
She added, “And I am saying this with restraint because it involves another country. We want friendship with the US but there too we get remarks about religious freedom in India. A former President – under whose rule six Muslim-majority countries were bombed with more than 26,000 bombs – how will people trust his allegations?”
Her strong criticism against Obama is related to the interview that he gave to CNN before Narendra Modi addressed the US Congress. In the interview the former US President raised concerns about protection of Muslim minority in majority Hindu India.
Obama also spoke about India falling apart if rights of minorities are not protected. This statement is a direct attack on India’s sovereignty and unity.
Even the timing of his interview, just before Prime Minister’s speech at the US Congress is questionable. His statements can be seen as an attempt to undermine the position of the current US President, Joe Biden, and also of India. It is surprising that Obama, a democrat, has criticized, albeit indirectly, a democrat President for meeting with Indian Prime Minister. Incidentally, Biden was the Vice President when Obama was in the White House.
Nirmala Sitharaman’s strong rebuttal of Obama is significant. She has in a way exposed the former President’s track record on his treatment of Muslim. It seems Barack Obama is worried about only Indian Muslims, while he did not flinch when ordering the bombings of six Muslim countries.
According to Sitharaman, 26,000 bombs were dropped on Muslim countries under Obama’s watch and asked if people can trust such an individual.
It must be noted how much Muslims might have been killed and homes destroyed when US rained fire on these Muslim countries.
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