New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma responded to a social media post discussing the possibility of the Assam police arresting former US president Barack Obama for his comments on vulnerability of minorities in India, stataing that there are many “Hussain Obama in India” and his priority will be in dealing with them.
However, his remark has drawn opposition flak with leaders asking if he was “disregarding” statements made by Narendra Modi in the US.
My friend Barack’ is now Hussain Obama! Actually Himanta has answered what PM Modi was asked at White House. His insinuation – about President Obama being a muslim and Indian Muslims need to be taught a lesson – was the question’s premise. What is the PM, MEA and Govt of India’s stand on this?
He said that Assam police would act according to their own priorities.
“There are many Hussain Obama in India itself. We should prioritize taking care of them before considering going to Washington. The Assam police will act according to our own priorities,” the BJP leader wrote on Twitter, sharing a post by a prominent journalist.
The tweet asked if the Assam police would go to the US to apprehend the former US president.
“Has an FIR been filed in Guwahati yet against Obama for hurting sentiment? Is Assam police on its way to Washington to get Obama offloaded from some flight and arrest him?” the journalist wrote.
The tweet was apparently referring to FIRs being lodged in Assam against opposition leaders over their remarks in different parts of the country.
Obama, in an interview with CNN on Thursday, said that India may “pull apart” if the rights of the religious and ethnic minorities are not upheld.
“If the (US) President meets with Prime Minister Modi, then the protection of the Muslim minority in a Hindu majority India is worth mentioning. If I had a conversation with Prime Minister Modi, who I know well, part of my argument would be that if you don’t protect the rights of ethnic minorities in India, there is a strong possibility that India would at some point start pulling apart,” Obama had said.
The NCP has termed Mr Sarma’s comment as distasteful and that it undermines PM Modi’s assertion during the US visit that there is no religion-based discrimination in India. “Either he (Mr Sarma) did not listen to our PM Narendra Modi ji’s statement made in the US, or he is disrespectfully disregarding what he said,” said Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson Clyde Crasto.
