Barack Obama, in an interview to CNN, said that the protection of the Muslim minority in India was worth mentioning when US President Biden met PM Modi.

news Controversy Saturday, June 24, 2023 - 15:04
Written by  TNM Staff

A day after former US president Barack Obama spoke about the state of minority rights in India, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma courted controversy by saying that there are many "Hussain Obamas" in the country to be “taken care of”. He made the Islamophobic comment in response to journalist Rohini Singh’s question whether the Assam police would arrest Obama for “hurting [national] sentiment”.

Obama, during an interview to CNN on June 22, said that the protection of the Muslim minority in India was worth mentioning when US President Biden meets PM Modi. When asked about PM Modi being accused by human rights groups of drifting toward authoritarianism, Obama said that as president, there are various interests and priorities to consider. "If the President [Joe Biden] meets with PM Modi, then the protection of the Muslim minority in a majority Hindu India is something worth mentioning … if you do not protect the rights of ethnic minorities, there’s a strong possibility India starts pulling apart," he said.

The Assam Police has registered the arrests of several opposition leaders who made comments critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the past year. In April 2022, Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani was arrested from Gujarat by the Assam police for a tweet against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Jignesh had said in the tweet, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who considers Godse as his god, is going on a Gujarat tour from April 20. I appeal to him that he should appeal for calm in Himmat Nagar, Khambat and Veraval where communal violence broke out. Can we at least hope for this much from the maker of the grand temple.”

Journalist Rohini Singh, hinting at the earlier arrests made by Assam police, said, “Has an FIR been filed in Guwahati yet against Obama for hurting sentiment? Is Assam police on it’s way to Washington to get Obama offloaded from some flight and arrest him?”

In response to the journalist’s tweet, Himant Biswa referred to the former American president’s middle name Hussain and said that there were many “Hussain Obamas” in India to be taken care of by the police.. “There are many Hussain Obama in India itself. We should prioritize taking care of them before considering going to Washington. The Assam police will act according to our own priorities,” he said.

Rohini Singh further questioned if profiling Obama as a Muslim was the government’s stand. “BIG: Former President of United States @BarackObama profiled as Muslim and equated with a criminal by a BJP Chief Minister. Is this the official position of India @MEAIndia?” she tweeted.

The comment has come just a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi was asked about democracy and religious freedom at the White House news briefings, to which he said, "Democracy is in our DNA." He also said, “In India’s democratic values, there’s absolutely no discrimination either on the basis of caste, creed, or age, or any kind of geographic location.”

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinte slammed the statement of Himant Biswas saying, “‘My friend Barack’ is now Hussain Obama! Actually Himanta has answered what PM Modi was asked at White House. His insinuation - about President Obama being a muslim and Indian Muslims need to be taught a lesson - was the question’s premise. What is the PM, MEA and Govt of India’s stand on this?”

 

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