Indian finance minister scoffs at Obama comment on protecting Muslims
India's finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has derided comments by former US President Barack Obama that Premier Narendra Modi's government should protect the rights of minority Muslims, accusing Obama of being hypocritical.
During Modi's state visit to the United States previous week, Obama told media that the issue of the 'protection of the Muslim minority in a majority-Hindu India' would be worth raising in Modi's meeting with President Joe Biden.
Obama said that without such protection there was 'a strong possibility that India at some point starts pulling apart'.
Indian Finance Minister said she was shocked that Obama has made such remarks when PM Modi was visiting the United States aiming to deepen relations.
'He was commenting on Indian Muslims.. having bombed Muslim-majority countries from Syria to Yemen.. during his presidency,' Nirmala Sitharaman told a press conference on Sunday.
The US State Department has raised concerns over treatment of Muslims other religious minorities in India under Modi's Hindu-nationalist party. The Indian government says it treats all citizens equally.
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