‘Obama should spend his energy…’: Ex-USCIRF official on India under PM Modi
Former US president Barack Obama's statement about minority rights in India under Prime Minister Modi has stoked a controversy.
Former president Barack Obama should spend his energy complimenting India more than criticizing it, an ex-commissioner of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom has said. Johnnie Moore, an American evangelical leader, said India is the most diverse country in human history and the US should be complimenting the largest democracy in the world.

“I think the former president (Barack Obama) should spend his energy complimenting India more than criticizing India. India is the most diverse country in human history. It's not a perfect country, just like the US is not a perfect country, but its diversity is its strength and we should be complimenting the largest democracy in the world,” Moore told ANI.
"America can learn a lot from India. India is the most pluralistic country in the entire world. It is a laboratory of religions. I went to India to learn about religion and one of the remarkable things about India is, there are more languages and more religions and more diverse people in that single democracy that any example in human history - something we should be celebrating every chance that we can get," Moore added.
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His remarks came days after Obama was quoted as saying in an interview that Biden should raise the religious freedom issue with India, as he would have done had he still been the US president. In an interview with CNN on Thursday, Obama said if India does not protect the rights of ethnic minorities, there is a strong possibility at some point that the country starts pulling apart.
The USCIRF had also urged President Biden to address “concerning issues” of religious freedom and other related human rights in India during Prime Minister Modi’s state visit. It alleged that the BJP-led government has supported discriminatory national and state-level policies that severely hinder and restrict the religious freedom of minority groups.
“It was the time to celebrate the historic visit rather than levelling some criticism on it. With some friends, particularly when it comes to democracy, it is sometimes better to privately criticise and publicly praise. That's good geopolitics,” the former USCIRF commissioner said.
“Because there are plenty of people around the world that want to demonstrate that this is the twilight of democracy in the world. It is not the twilight, it is a new dawn of democracy,” he added.
Obama's comments drew a major backlash in India, especially from the leaders of the ruling BJP, with Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman saying the former president's remarks were surprising as six Muslim-majority countries had faced US "bombing" during his tenure.
"I am exercising restraint while speaking on foreign matters. We want a good friendship with the US. But from there also, USCIRF's comments about religious tolerance in India comes and the former president is also saying something," she added. "Didn't bombings happen in six countries - Syria, Yemen, Saudi and Iraq and other Muslim countries - during his term (as US President)?" she asked.
"When he makes such allegations against India, will the people trust him," she said.
