Nirmala Sitharaman lashes out at Obama, says six Muslim-dominated countries were bombed

NEW DELHI: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lashed out at former US President Barack Obama for his comments on Indian Muslims and said that under his reign, the United States had bombed six Muslim-dominated countries.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Nirmala Sitharaman said, “It was surprising that when the PM was visiting the US and telling people about India, a former US President (Barack Obama) was making a statement on Indian Muslims…I am speaking with caution, we want a good friendship with the US, but they comment on India’s religious tolerance. Perhaps six Muslim-dominated countries were bombed due to him (Obama)… More than 26,000 bombs were dropped”.

This comment came after US former President Barack Obama, during a media interview, said if ethnic minorities are not protected, there is a strong possibility of the country “at some point starts pulling apart”.

Obama made the remarks during an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour and said if President Joe Biden meets with PM Modi, “…the protection of the Muslim minority in a majority Hindu India is something worth mentioning”.

Meanwhile, at the press conference, the Union minister defended PM Modi from questions surrounding the treatment being meted out to the Muslims in India and pointed out that out of 13 honours that the Prime Minister received from different countries, six awards were from such nations where Muslims are in the majority.

“Honorable Prime Minister himself, during the press conference in US, has said how his government works on ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas’ principle and doesn’t discriminate against any community whatsoever, but the fact remains that repeatedly, when people join in in this debate and highlight issues which are non-issues in a way because, if there are issues in states which are to be raised, they are being raised at the state level”, Sitharaman said at the press conference.

Further, she added, “Law and order is the State subject and people are taking care of it and elected governments are there in each of the states which respond to it. “To just allege without basic data in hand just tells us that these are organised campaigns which purposely are being leveled at the doorstep of the Prime Minister. Otherwise, why would countries give such an honour to the Prime Minister and why would there be a distortion in understanding how India and its minority population, irrespective of which religion they belong to, are being part of the Indian mainstream”?

Slamming the Opposition, she said that as Congress couldn’t see the possibility of winning the election, so they have started such kind of campaign.

The minister further slammed the Congress and stated that such campaigns are being floated into the ecosyatem as Congress is aware that they are incapable of wining the 2024 general electionas.

“Congress is doing more this time than last two elections. Karnataka’s talk was different, but such toolkits, which run in foreign countries, they are working against Prime Minister because they (Congress) are sure that the public will not support them”, she said. (ANI)