Barack Obama is drawing a lot of his flak over his answers to a question on Prime Minister Narendra Modi even from voices within the USA now.
Former Commissioner of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, Johnnie Moore has said that the former US President should focus his energy on complimenting India more than criticising India.
#WATCH | Reacting to former US President Barack Obama's remarks about the rights of Indian Muslims, Johnnie Moore, former Commissioner of US Commission on International Religious Freedom, says, "I think the former president (Barack Obama) should spend his energy complimenting… pic.twitter.com/227e1p17Ll
— ANI (@ANI) June 26, 2023
Moore’s statement was in regard to contentious remarks made by Obama during an interview with CNN news host Christiane Amanpour, just hours before PM Modi made his historic address at the joint session of the US Congress.
“I think the former president (Barack Obama) should spend his energy complimenting India more than criticising India. India is the most diverse country in human history. It’s not a perfect country, just like the US is not a perfect country, but its diversity is its strength… Even in that critique, President Obama couldn’t help but also compliment PM Modi, and I certainly understand why, having spent some time with him,” Moore said.
Further, the former Commissioner of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom added, “With your friends, it’s sometimes better to privately criticise than to publicly praise. It’s good geopolitics. Because there are plenty of people around the world who want to demonstrate that this is the twilight of democracy; it is not the twilight of democracy, it is the new dawn of democracy. So I disagree with the sentiment of the former President.”
Obama sparks row during Modi’s US visit
In an interview with CNN news host Christiane Amanpour, Obama suggested that the Indian Prime Minister must be told by the Biden administration about protecting the ‘Muslim minority in a majority Hindu India.’ He also hinted at another ‘partition’ of India, under the Modi government.
He said, “If President (Joe Biden) meets with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi, the protection of Muslim minority in a majority Hindu India is something worth mentioning.”
Barack Obama also claimed, “If I had a conversation with Prime Minister Modi, then, part of the conversation would be that if you do not protect the rights of minorities, then there is a strong possibility that India at some point starts pulling apart…That would be contrary to the interests of India.”
Nirmala Sitharaman’s retort
Finance Minister of India Nirmala Sitharaman in a fierce retort reminded the former US President that 6 Muslim nations were bombed by the US under his rule.
“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,” she had said.
