Former U.S. President Barak Obama’s remarks during a television interview expressing apprehensions over minority rights in India continues to be roundly and publicly criticised in India at the highest levels of government. After Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also spoke out against Mr. Obama’s remarks, reminding the former U.S. President of the “many Muslim countries he has attacked”.
“Obama ji should not forget that India is the only country which considers all the people living in the world as family members. He should also think about himself as to how many Muslim countries he has attacked,” Mr. Singh said at an event in Jammu.
Both Ms. Sitharaman and Mr. Singh’s remarks, referencing Mr. Obama’s record in office during the ‘War on Terror’, follow those of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and BJP vice president Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda on the same issue.
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Sources in the BJP said BJP Ministers’ reaction was due to the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been a state guest of the U.S. Government when these remarks were made, and that Mr. Obama is a former President of the same Democratic Party that’s heading the administration now.
The BJP also feels that with the U.S.-India relationship is closer now than it has been in all these years, and the conclusion of defence cooperation agreements and agreements with regard to semiconductors, etc., India also has the leverage it did not have in the past to take umbrage at “such commentary”, they added.
“If the Opposition thinks it can orchestrate this kind of narrative while Prime Minister Modi concluded what is easily one of the most significant visits of India’s foreign policy, and that this narrative will not be responded to, they are living in a fool’s paradise,” a source said.
‘India next big destination for semiconductor makers’
Mr. Modi’s U.S. visit was again lauded by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who said at a press conference at the BJP’s national headquarters in New Delhi that the first semiconductor chip will be rolled out of the U.S.-based Micron Technology, which is setting up its plant in Sanand, Gujarat. The company will manufacture chips and equipment with an investment of $400 million. This deal was signed during Mr. Modi’s U.S. visit.
He added that the current BJP-led Central government had succeeded in attracting investments in emerging technology, and stated that India is the next important location for semiconductor manufacturers. “Congress has attempted to do so since the 1980s but was not successful,” Mr. Vaishnaw said.
The Minister said that under Mr. Modi, India’s stature has risen unprecedentedly on the global stage. Calling Mr. Modi’s visit to the U.S. “historic”, he said the standing ovations the Prime Minister received while addressing the Joint Session of the U.S. Congress showcased a deep respect “not only for Mr. Modi but for 140 crore Indians”.
“It is a recognition of India’s prowess. It is a recognition of India’s position in the geopolitics order. Earlier, during such visits, the talks were about Kashmir and Pakistan. The primary focus this time was technological progress. This is the fundamental change. Both powers can collaborate in the fields of semiconductors, jet engines, defence technologies, space, AI (Artificial Intelligence), and quantum computing. The process has changed from 180 degrees in the past,” Mr. Vaishnaw said.
(With inputs from ANI.)
