A day after Modi's 'no discrimination' remark in US, BJP leader's 'Hussain Obama' taunt triggers row in India

HIMANTA Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of the north-eastern Indian state of Assam who belongs to prime minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, sparked a controversy on Friday (23) when he claimed that there are many "Hussain Obama" figures in India, and addressing them should be a priority before considering any action against former US president Barack Obama, whose middle name is Hussein.

'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," Sarma said in a tweet.

Modi responds to US journalist asking about India minority rights at White House: ‘I am surprised…’

The statement was in response to a social media post by a journalist speculating whether the police of his state would arrest Obama over his remarks on the alleged vulnerability of minorities in India. Sarma's comments drew criticism from opposition leaders who questioned if Sarma was disregarding Modi's statements made during his ongoing US visit that there is no scope of discrimination against minorities in the South Asian democracy.

The journalist's tweet was apparently referring to reports being lodged in the north-eastern state against opposition leaders over their remarks in different parts of India. Officials from Assam Police in the recent past have travelled to different locations and even made arrests.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of the northeastern Indian state of Assam (Manash Das/ANI Photo)

Supriya Shrinate, a spokesperson of the opposition Indian National Congress, condemned Sarma's remark and raised questions about the Indian government's stance on the matter.

A former journalist herself, Shrinate asked in a tweet in response to the Assam chief minister, "‘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?"

Modi had called the former US president "Barack" during one of their early meetings when the latter was still in office.

The Nationalist Congress Party, another opposition outfit, labelled Sarma's comment as distasteful and argued that it undermined Modi's assertion at a joint press conference with US president Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday (22) that India upholds the principles of democracy and does not discriminate based on caste or religion, as enshrined in the country's constitution.

In an interview with CNN, Obama expressed concerns about the rights of religious and ethnic minorities in India, stating that India could potentially face division if these rights are not protected.

He said India would "pull apart" if it did not protect its minorities.

(With agency inputs)