Bombed 6 Muslim Majority Nations: Sitharaman Slams Obama For Remarks On Indian Minorities

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday slammed former US president Barack Obama's statement about minority rights in India, saying his remarks were surprising as six Muslim-majority countries had faced US "bombing" during his tenure.

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 6 Muslim-dominated countries were bombed due to him (Obama)... More than 26,000 bombs were dropped."

It came after Obama reportedly said if India does not protect the rights of ethnic minorities, there is a strong possibility at some point that the country starts pulling apart.

The Finance Minister raised objection to the allegations by US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and said that India wants to maintain a good relationship with the US but she 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," she added.

Sitharaman claimed that it was important to see who are the people behind them.

Meanwhile, the minister accused the Congress of "deliberately" raising "non-issues" and levelling allegations "without facts" to vitiate the country's atmosphere because the opposition party cannot defeat the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

"The Congress party is running such campaigns and it was clearly visible in the last election and the previous elections where they went to Pakistan seeking their help to change the government in India," she said, responding to questions on allegations of discrimination against minorities.

The Finance Minister highlighted that whenever there is an issue, it is addressed at the state level as law and order is a state subject. "I find this deliberate attempt to vitiate the atmosphere in the country because they think they cannot win against the development policies of prime minister Modi," she alleged, adding "They (Congress) have deployed their tool kits which operate abroad." "Going abroad, our Opposition do not talk in India's interest because they cannot defeat Prime Minister Modi."

"They bring up these people who go to these debates without ground-level details," she charged. Sitharaman said Prime Minister Modi has received the highest civilian awards from 13 countries and six of them have the highest Muslim population.

"These (targeting of Modi government over minority issues) are organised campaigns.... Otherwise, why would countries accord such an honour to PM Modi and why would there be a distortion in understanding about how the minority population is part of the Indian mainstream," she said.