Pointing-out that six of the 13 highest civilian honours bestowed on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are come from the Muslim dominated countries, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday accused Congress and other Opposition parties of raising "non-issues without data" as she also severely lashed-out at ex-US President Barack Obama for picking on India on the treatmnent of the minority community.
Addressing a press conference here on the Prime Minister's just concluded US visit and the ongoing one to Egypt, the first by any Indian premier after a gap of 26 years, Sitharaman defended the Modi-government against the Opposition charges of discrimination against minorities in the country.
"The Prime Minister himself, in the press conference in the US, has said how his government works on the 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' principle and doesn't discriminate against any community. But the fact remains that when people join in this debate and highlight issues which are non-issues in a way," Sitharaman said. She also lashed-out at ex-US President Obama for picking on India on the minorities issue in his recent interview with CNN in which he said he would raise the subject of Indian Muslims with Prime Minister Modi."I was shocked. When PM Modi was campaigning in the US — and by campaigning I mean speaking about India — a former President of the US is speaking about Indian Muslims."
"And I am saying this with restraint because it involves another country. We want friendship with the US but there too we get remarks about religious freedom in India. A former President — under whose rule six Muslim-majority countries were bombed with more than 26,000 bombs — how will people trust his allegations?" she said.
Accusing the Congress and other opposition parties of raising "non-issues, without data" in the face of electoral defeats, the finance minister said these charges are as the opposion is not being able to counter Modi electorally and on his "pro-poor policies."
"There are issues to be raised which are being raised at the state level about law and order.
There are people taking care of it. To just allege without basic data in hand just tells us that these are organised campaigns," said the senior BJP leader hitting-out at the opposition.
"Out of the 13 awards that has been given as Prime Minister of the country, six have been given by countries where Muslims are in the majority," she pointed-out and cited the latestet honour bestowed on Modi by Egypt. Sitharaman also detailed as how "well" Modi was received in Egypt by grand Mufti and Indian Muslim Bohra community in Egypt.
The Prime Minister Modi was on Sunday conferred with the 'Order of the Nile', Egypt's highest honour, by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at the Presidential palace in Cairo.
"I think because they can't counter the BJP or PM Modi electorally - the Karnataka election result notwithstanding - that is why they are running these campaigns.
And the Congress has had a big role in this in the past few elections," she said countering opposition charges on discrimination in the country.
Sitharaman also said Congress in the past also sought to win election with the help of Pakistan. On the opposition unity bid, the BJP leader asked whether they have given any worthwhile plan as what will they do if they were to come to power ?