Obama: India at Risk Without Minority Rights Protection

Former US President Barack Obama warned that disregarding ethnic minority rights in India might lead to internal instability. He made these statements during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with President Joe Biden in the US. Obama told CNN that the two leaders should discuss Muslim minority security in Hindu India.

Obama noted his work with Modi on the Paris Climate Accords. While conceding that he has worked with political leaders with whom he disagreed, he stressed the necessity for the US president to consider multiple variables while working with allies. He said not all leaders were democratic.

President Biden raised worries about democratic backsliding in India during his discussion with Modi. The White House said Biden will not lecture Modi on these problems, underlining that Indian politics and democratic institutions should be decided by the Indian people.