Barack Obama: Row in India over former US president's remarks on Muslim rights

Leaders of India's governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) person criticised erstwhile US President Barack Obama for his caller remarks connected Muslims successful India.

Mr Obama said successful an interrogation past week that India whitethorn "start pulling apart" if the rights of minorities weren't protected.

He was responding to a question connected however President Joe Biden should prosecute with "illiberal democrats".

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was successful the US connected a authorities sojourn astatine the time.

Mr Obama's remarks, made successful an interrogation with CNN's Christiane Amanpour which was aired earlier the Congress address, were wide reported successful India.

Ms Amanpour referred to the "threat to democracy" from alleged "illiberal democrats" earlier referring to Mr Modi arsenic one.

"How should a president prosecute with those kinds of leaders, either successful the naming of them oregon successful the dealing with them?" she asked.

Mr Obama said it was "complicated", earlier referring to his ain acquisition dealing with allies who whitethorn not person tally "ideally antiauthoritarian governments" but with whom relations had to beryllium maintained for a fig of reasons. He added that it was "appropriate" for the US president, erstwhile possible, to situation "trends that are troubling" either successful nationalist oregon private.

"If the president meets with Prime Minister Modi, past the extortion of the Muslim number successful a bulk Hindu India - that's thing worthy mentioning. If I had a speech with Prime Minister Modi, who I cognize well, portion of my statement would beryllium that if you bash not support the rights of taste minorities successful India, past determination is simply a beardown anticipation that India astatine immoderate constituent starts pulling apart," helium said, adding that that would beryllium contrary to India's interests.

Mr Obama shared a lukewarm narration with Mr Modi portion successful office.

Indian concern curate Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters connected Sunday that she was "shocked" by Mr Obama's comments.

"When Mr Modi was campaigning successful the US - and by campaigning I mean speaking astir India - a erstwhile US president was speaking astir Indian Muslims."

She went connected to accidental that India wanted bully relations with the US but "there excessively we get remarks astir spiritual tolerance successful India".

Ms Sitharaman added that the US had bombed Muslim-majority countries including Syria and Yemen portion Mr Obama was successful power.

Mr Obama and the US person not publically commented connected these remarks.

In the US, Mr Modi received a lukewarm invited from concern leaders and members of the ample and influential India diaspora that includes galore Silicon Valley CEOs. However, determination were besides protests against his authorities - which is led by the Hindu nationalist BJP - which has been accused of not doing capable to support minorities from unit and discrimination.

During his visit, 75 Democrats wrote a missive to Mr Biden, urging him to rise quality rights issues with Mr Modi. Some of them, including typical Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, boycotted his code to Congress.

At a associated property league with Mr Biden, Mr Modi besides said that determination was "no abstraction for immoderate discrimination" nether his government, successful effect to a question connected rights of Muslims and different minorities successful India.

On Sunday, Mr Modi tweeted his statement with Mr Biden's remarks connected the relationship betwixt the 2 countries being among "the astir consequential successful the world".

Ms Sitharaman's comments came days aft a tweet by a BJP main curate sparked a controversy.

Assam main curate Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted that determination were galore "Hussain Obama successful India itself" who needed to beryllium taken attraction of. He was responding to a journalist's sarcastic tweet asking whether a lawsuit had been filed against Mr Obama for "hurting sentiments" with his remarks connected India.

Mr Obama's afloat sanction is Barack Hussein Obama II.

Some absorption politicians accused Mr Sarma of issuing a "veiled threat" to India's Muslim population.

Political idiosyncratic Ashutosh Varshney told the Washington Post that Mr Sarma's tweet mentioning Mr Obama's mediate sanction was a mode of "twisting" his remarks into ones "made by a Muslim" adjacent though the erstwhile president does not practise Islam.

After the controversy, Mr Sarma told the Indian Express paper that helium stood by his tweet.

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