CHENNAI: On Friday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma created a stir after he lashed out at former US President Barack Obama in one of his tweets. In the tweet, he says "There are many Hussain Obama in India itself. We should prioritize taking care of them..."
The tweet came a day after Obama's interview on CNN where he urged President Biden to press Prime Minister Narendra Modi on protecting the rights of the Muslim minority in the country. "If I had a conversation with Prime Minister Modi, who I know well, part of my argument would be that if you do not protect the rights of the ethnic minorities in India, then there is a strong possibility India at some point starts pulling apart..., " he told CNN.
Assam CM's tweet came in as response to a tweet by Journalist Rohini Singh, who asked if the Assam Police has filed an FIR against Obama for hurting sentiment. She also asked, "Is the Assam Police on its way to Washington to arrest Obama?"
In her tweet, she was referring to the arrest of opposition leaders in Assam, over the remarks they made against Modi.
Opposition's response
After Sarma's tweet went viral, several opposition leaders commented on the incident. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate tweeted, ‘My friend Barack’ is now Hussain Obama! Actually, Himanta has answered what PM Modi was asked at the White House. His insinuation - about President Obama being a Muslim and Indian Muslims needing to be taught a lesson - was the question’s premise. What is the PM, MEA and Govt of India’s stand on this?
Trinamool Congress Spokesperson Saket Gokhale also condemned the statement and said, "Less than 24 hours after PM Modi said there's no discrimination in India, a Chief Minister from his party refers to Obama as "Hussain Obama" (in quotes) and issues a veiled threat about using his state police force “to take care of them in India." This clearly exposes the hypocrisy & lies of PM Modi on the international stage."