NEW DELHI: Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday launched a scathing attack on former US President Barack Obama over his comments pertaining to religious minorities in India, holding him responsible for the death of thousands of Muslims.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, the Union finance minister, without naming, criticized Obama and raised questions about his credibility.
“We want friendship with the US but shockingly, while PM Modi was in the US projecting India’s true heights, we saw this man, a former president, commenting about religious tolerance in India,” the minister said.
She continued: “Under his presidency, at least six Islamic countries like Syria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq were bombed by the US. During his tenure, the US dropped more than 26,000 bombs on these countries. They need to see within themselves. Who will trust such statements from such a man?”
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During the press conference, Sitharaman also spoke about the use of toolkits by foreign entities and accused the Opposition leaders of not speaking in the interest of India while on foreign soil. She attributed their reluctance to a lack of public support and their inability to challenge Prime Minister Modi with substantial data.
Highlighting PM Modi’s state visit to Egypt, where he was honored with the country’s highest award, the ‘Order of the Nile’, she underscored that PM Modi has received the highest civilian awards from 13 countries, including six with a significant Muslim population. During the visit, PM Modi met with Egypt’s Grand Mufti, who praised the PM’s commitment to inclusivity and pluralism.
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Sitharaman also mentioned India’s plan to establish a Centre of Excellence in IT at the Dar Al-Ifta under the Ministry of Social Justice in Egypt.
Obama’s recent interview included remarks about protecting the rights of ethnic minorities in India, prompting controversy, with Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stating that there are many “Hussain Obamas” in India that the state police would deal with.
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