While the Joe Biden administration holds former President Barack Obama in high esteem, he is a private citizen and there was no coordination with the White House regarding his comments on India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, a senior administration official said.
However, a senior administration official added that Biden raised “all kinds of issues” with Modi, as Modi did with Biden in a dignified and respectful manner. He added that in the context of an online protest in India against a Wall Street Journal reporter who asked Modi a question that the administration believes in a free and open press, it does not support any kind of online harassment, but the overwhelming majority of comments have been positive about the visit and officials would like to focus.
When Biden welcomed Modi on the South Lawn of the White House and participated in bilateral talks on June 22, Obama said that for Biden, “protecting the Muslim minority in majority Hindu India” was worth mentioning to Modi. Obama added that if he were to talk to Modi, part of his argument would be that if the Indian prime minister does not protect the rights of “ethnic minorities”, there is a “high possibility” India will be “torn apart”. These “major internal conflicts”, Obama said, would be against the interests of both “Muslim India” and “Hindu India”.
Obama’s comments sparked a domestic political backlash in India. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh claimed that the US had bombed six Muslim countries under Obama. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted that there are many “Hussain Obamas” in India itself and the Assam Police will act according to their own priorities.
“But President Biden’s style is to do it with great dignity, to deal with partners with respect and to act in a spirit of close partnership. And I think he did with Prime Minister Modi, I can assure you that every country had some quiet things they wanted to discuss. So it wasn’t just that the President spoke directly about the issues with PM Modi. PM Modi had a few issues that he wanted to raise as well, but I can tell you that the depth of their relationship allowed them to talk about issues with respect and in a way that I’m sure the other heard and heard. in a spirit of respect,” the official said.
When asked about the controversy surrounding WSJ reporter Sabrina Siddiqui’s question on Modi, the official said: “We have made it very clear that we believe a free and open press is important. We honestly do not support any kind of online harassment. And it really worries us very much.”
However, the official added that they were focused on the overwhelmingly positive response to the summit. “The vast majority of the comments were positive, they were uplifting, and they basically heralded what I think is a remarkable set of accomplishments on the part of President Biden and Prime Minister Modi. And I think it’s appropriate because both leaders deserve these awards.”
