'Bombed 6 Muslim nations': Sitharaman attacks Barack Obama for minority rights remarks (WATCH)

In an interview with CNN on Thursday, Barack Obama reportedly 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.

On Sunday, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticised former US President Barack Obama's views regarding minority rights in India, stating that his comments were puzzling given that six countries with a majority of Muslims saw US "bombing" during his administration.

According to her, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has won the highest civilian honours from 13 nations, six of which have a predominately Muslim population.

The finance minister claimed that because the opposition cannot defeat the BJP electorally under Modi, "organised campaigns" were being undertaken to make "baseless" claims about the treatment meted out to minorities.

In an interview with CNN on Thursday, Obama reportedly 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.

“I was surprised when Prime Minister Modi was... talking about India in front of everyone, a former US president was giving statements about Indian Muslims at that time,” Sitharaman said at a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi.

“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, will the people trust him," she said.

In addition, Sitharaman disputed the claims made by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), saying that while India wants to keep friendly relations with the US, she is "surprised" by such claims.

“We want 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.

She added that it's crucial to discover who is responsible for them.

The minister claimed that because the Congress cannot beat the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the opposition party is "deliberately" bringing up "non-issues" and making accusations "without facts" to poison the mood in the nation.

“The Congress party is running such campaigns and it was clearly visible in the last election and the previous elections where they went to Pakistan seeking their help to change the government in India,” she charged while replying to questions on allegations of discrimination against minorities.

She claimed that as law and order is a state concern, any problems are resolved at the state level.

“I find this deliberate attempt to vitiate the atmosphere in the country because they think they cannot win against the development policies of prime minister Modi,” she alleged, adding “They (Congress) have deployed their tool kits which operate abroad.” “Going abroad, our Opposition do not talk in India's interest because they cannot defeat Prime Minister Modi." “They bring up these people who go to these debates without ground-level details,” she charged.

According to Sitharaman, six of the 13 nations with the greatest Muslim populations gave Prime Minister Modi their highest civilian honours.

“These (targeting of Modi government over minority issues) are organised campaigns….  Otherwise, why would countries accord such an honour to PM Modi and why would there be a distortion in understanding about how the minority population is part of the Indian mainstream,” she said.

At a news conference during his visit to the US, Prime Minister Modi explained how his administration operates under the "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" idea and does not discriminate against any community "whatsoever," the Union minister continued.