July 23, 2026 04:31 pm (IST)
Follow us:
Aberrations don't alter India's history of tolerance: Jaitley on Obama remark
New Delhi, Feb 6 (IBNS): Reacting to US President Barack Obama's comment of religious intolerance in India, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday said that aberrations don't alter India's history of tolerance.
"India has a huge cultural history of tolerance. Any aberrations don't alter that history," Jaitley told a news conference here on being asked about Obama's critical remarks about religious intolerance in the country.
The statement comes after Obama has said that if Gandhi were alive, the acts of religious intolerance in India would have shocked him while he also reminded Americans of the acts of the terrible deeds committed by Christians too in history.
In the National Prayer Breakfast address on Thursday, Obama said "India was full of magnificent diversity – but a place where, in past years, religious faiths of all types have, on occasion, been targeted by other peoples of faith, simply due to their heritage and their beliefs.”
He said such acts would have "shocked Gandhiji, the person who helped to liberate that nation."
Obama, who is an admirer of Gandhiji, is just back from his India visit where he bonded well with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi but in a speech before leaving had expressed his concern over the religious intolerance in India and had said for the country to succeed it should not splinter along religious lines.
Obama spoke of how “professions of faith [is] used both as an instrument of great good but twisted in the name of evil.”
"From a school in Pakistan to the streets of Paris we have seen violence and terror perpetrated by those who profess to stand up for faith – their faith – profess to stand up for Islam but in fact are betraying it,” he said.
He called ISIS a “brutal, vicious death cult that in the name of religion carries out unspeakable acts of barbarism.”
He also warned the Christians saying "and lest we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place – remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ."
"No god condones terror," Obama said adding that "we are summoned to push back against those who would distort our religion for their nihilistic ends.
Tibetan leader in exile and Nobel laureate Dalai Lama was present at the venue whom Obama addressed as a person who "inspires us to speak up for the freedom and dignity of all human beings."
#Aberrations don't alter India's history of tolerance: Arun Jaitley on Barack Obama
# mahatma gandhi
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Latest Headlines
Cockroach Janta Party seeks police permission for Kolkata rally as nationwide protest campaign gathers pace
Thu, Jul 23 2026
'I'll intervene if not opened by lunch time': CJI Surya Kant steps in as metro station closure disrupts Supreme Court access
Thu, Jul 23 2026
'We'll put drugs in your bag': Mumbai cop suspended after viral threat to NEET protesters
Thu, Jul 23 2026
Delhi cop seen slapping woman protester removed from Jantar Mantar after viral outrage
Thu, Jul 23 2026
'Nothing more important than the welfare and future of youth': PM Modi's fresh message amid mounting NEET protests
Thu, Jul 23 2026