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Himanta Biswa not fringe element, PM's coterie: Jairam Ramesh on 'Hussain Obama' row
Himanta Biswa Sarma's ‘Hussain Obama’ tweet proves PM Modi was not sincere in his statement in the US that there is no discrimination, Jairam Ramesh said.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is not a fringe element and is at the very core of the PM's coterie, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said after Himanta's 'Hussain Obama' comment drew flak from the opposition. While the opposition leaders claimed that Assam CM's tweet actually undermined PM Modi's assertion in the US that there is no religious discrimination in India, Jairam Ramesh said PM Modi was not sincere either.
'Many Hussain Obama in India'
"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," Himanta tweeted replying to a journalist who asked whether an FIR was filed in Guwahati 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 asked.
In an interview with CNN, Obama raised the issue of minorities in India and said if he had a conversation with PM Modi, he would tell him that India may start pulling apart if the rights of the ethnic minorities in India are not protected.
BJP vice president Baijayant Jay Panda slammed Obama and termed his comment as 'preposterous'.
'Powerful lobby sabotaging PMO': Pawan Khera
Congress leader Pawan Khera, who was arrested by the Assam Police for calling Narendra Modi 'Narendra Gautamdas Modi' instead of 'Narendra Damodardar Modi' from a flight -- the reference of which was made in the tweet to which Himata reacted -- said it seemed like a powerful lobby within BJP 'sabotaging PMO' big time. "Why else will the CM contradict and embarrass the PM within 24 hours," Pawan Khera tweeted.
Himanta Sarma must apologise for ‘Hussain Obama’ comment: NCP
The Nationalist Congress Party sought an apology from Himanta for the 'crass' statement. "Either he (Sarma) did not listen to our PM Narendra Modi ji's statement made in the US, or he is disrespectfully disregarding what he said," NCP spokesperson Clyde Crasto said.
