Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has caused a stir on Twitter for saying that India has many “Hussain Obama” (sic) to be taken care of in response to a question of whether the Assam Police would arrest former U.S. President Barack Obama.
The tweet comes a day after Mr. Obama said that India may “pull apart” if the rights of the religious and ethnic minorities are not upheld. “If the [U.S.] 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,” Mr. Obama told CNN ahead of the Modi-Biden meeting in Washington.
Mr. Obama’s comments were met with backlash by many leaders, including BJP vice-president Baijayant Jay Panda, who said it is preposterous to see the former U.S. President “pander to the anti-India crowd, lecturing India in the same breath as China for its atrocities in Xinjiang”.
Mr. Sarma joined in criticising Mr. Obama, when he responded to a journalist, who asked in a seemingly derisive tweet whether an FIR been filed in Guwahati yet against Mr. Obama for hurting sentiments, and whether the Assam police would go to Washington to arrest him.
The tweet by journalist Rohini Singh was an apparent reference to the deplaning and arrest of Congress leader Pawan Khera by the Assam Police after he used “objectionable words” targeting Mr. Modi.
“There are many Hussain Obama (sic) 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,” Mr. Sarma responded. The tweet was a reference to Mr. Obama’s full name, which is Barack Hussein Obama II.
Several people on Twitter noted that the Assam Chief Minister’s derogatory remark came just a day after Prime Minister Modi told the American press that there was no question of discrimination in India on the grounds of caste or religion.
Responding to a question at a joint press conference with U.S. President Joe Biden after their comprehensive deliberations, PM Modi also strongly defended India’s record on democracy and his government’s performance and human rights.
