The Finance Minister lashed out at former US president for an interview in which he said he would raise the subject of Indian Muslims with PM Modi.
New Delhi: On his first official visit to America, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to be embarrassed by the question of the rights of Muslims in India at a press conference. He had to face the criticism of the opposition in the country. This time, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stood by Prime Minister Modi's discomfort. He alleged that the Congress and other opposition parties were raising the issue unnecessarily. Besides, he reminded, America dropped bombs on six Muslim-majority countries of the world while Barack Obama was president.
Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Nirmala said, "The Prime Minister told a press conference in US how his government works on the principle of 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas' and does not discriminate against any community. But some people dispute this. They are trying to make a non-issue an issue.” She reminded that out of the 13 awards given to Modi as the Prime Minister of the country, six were given to countries where Muslims are the majority. The BJP leader said that the opposition is spreading such propaganda without any facts, realizing that they cannot defeat Modi and the BJP politically, and the Congress in particular has been doing it for the past few years. Nirmala said that the issues being raised are law and order matters in the state.
In an interview with CNN during Modi's visit to the US, former US President Barack Obama said that he would raise the issue of Indian Muslims if he met Modi. Sitharaman said, “I am shocked. While Prime Minister Modi is on a US visit, a former US President is talking about Indian Muslims! And I say this with moderation because it involves another country. We want friendship with US but even there we get comments about religious freedom in India. How can people believe the accusations of a former president—whose regime bombed more tahn 26,000 bomb in six Muslim-majority countries?”
Incidentally, a foreign journalist asked Modi about India's minorities during a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden at the White House. Then he said, I am really surprised when people say this. India is a true democracy. Democracy is in our DNA, democracy is in our veins. We live in a democracy. Government in India runs on the basis of constitution. There is no place for discrimination here. Notably, two Muslim MPs of the US Congress have complained that persecution of minorities has increased in India. They have also decided to boycott Modi's speech in US Congress.
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