Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday sparked a row after he called former US President Barack Obama-- "Hussain Obama", in a response to a recent interview of the President with CNN where he suggested the Indian Prime Minister to "respect minority communities in India". While responding to a social media post speculating if Assam police will go to arrest former US president Barack Obama over his remarks on the alleged vulnerability of minorities in India, he claimed that there are many “Hussain Obama in India” and his priority will be in dealing with them.
He said that Assam police will act according to its own priorities. "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," the BJP leader wrote on Twitter, sharing a post by a prominent journalist.
The tweet had asked if the Assam police will go to the US to apprehend the former US president. "Has an FIR been filed in Guwahati yet against Obama for hurting sentiment? Is Assam police on its way to Washington to get Obama offloaded from some flight and arrest him?" the journalist wrote. The tweet was apparently referring to FIRs being lodged in Assam against opposition leaders over their remarks in different parts of the country.
Assam police had travelled to different locations and even made arrests, including deplaning and apprehending Congress leader Pawan Khera in February and arresting then-Independent Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani last year.
Why Obama interview sparks row in India
Obama in an interview with CNN on Thursday had said that India may “pull apart” if the rights of the religious and ethnic minorities are not upheld. “If the (US) 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,” Obama had said.
(With inputs from agency)
