Six Muslim Countries Were Bombed During Obama's Tenure; Will People Trust Him?: BJP Fields Nirmala Sitharaman To Call Out Obama On His Tirade

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday (25 June) said that former US president Barack Obama's statement regarding minority rights in India under the BJP government was surprising.

She highlighted that during Obama's tenure, the US had "bombed" six Muslim-majority countries.

During a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, Sitharaman expressed her surprise at Obama's comments on Indian Muslims while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was speaking about India in the US.

Sitharaman questioned whether the former US president had forgotten the bombings that occurred in six countries, including Syria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and other Muslim countries, during his term. “When he makes such allegations, will the people trust him,” she said.

Sitharaman highlighted that Prime Minister Modi had received the highest civilian awards from 13 countries, including six with predominantly Muslim populations.

She accused the Opposition of running "organised campaigns" to make "baseless" allegations about the treatment of minorities, saying that they are unable to defeat the BJP electorally under PM Modi.

Obama stated in a CNN interview on Thursday that if India fails to protect the rights of "ethnic minorities," there is a strong possibility that at some point that the country starts pulling apart.

Sitharaman expressed also highlighted the allegations made by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), stating that India desires to maintain a positive relationship with the US but is "surprised" to hear such statements.

“We want good friendship with the US But from there also, USCIRF’s comments about religious tolerance in India comes and the former President is also saying something,” the minister added.

She also emphasised the importance of identifying the individuals behind these statements.

The minister said that Congress is deliberately raising non-issues and making baseless allegations to create a negative atmosphere in the country.

The Finance Minister alleged that the opposition is trying to create a negative atmosphere in the country because they cannot win against the development policies of PM Modi.

She criticised the opposition for going abroad and not speaking in India's interest.

They bring up these people who go to these debates without ground-level details, she said. The targeting of the Modi government over minority issues is part of an organised campaign, according to the Finance Minister.

“These [targeting of Modi government over minority issues] are organised campaigns. Otherwise, why would countries accord such an honour to Prime Minister Modi and why would there be a distortion in understanding about how the minority population is part of the Indian mainstream,” she said, reports The Hindu.

The Finance Minister added that during his US visit, PM Modi had emphasised his government's commitment to the principle of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' and stated that his government does not discriminate against any community.