Obama is a private individual and does not coordinate with the White House, a senior administration official

Although the Obama administration holds the former president in the highest respect, a senior administration official has said that there was no coordination with the White House over his remarks on India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit.

However, the senior administration source stated in an exclusive interview with HT that Biden brought up “every kind of issue” with Modi, adding that Modi dealt with Biden in a courteous and dignified manner. In response to online backlash in India against a Wall Street Journal reporter who questioned Modi, he continued, “The administration believes in a free and open press, doesn’t support any kind of online harassment, and would like to focus on the overwhelming majority of the commentary surrounding the visit, which was positive.”

On June 22, when Biden greeted Modi on the south lawn of the White House and had bilateral discussions with him, Obama had said in an interview with CNN that Biden felt the “protection of a Muslim minority in a majority Hindu India” was important to bring up with Modi. Obama had said that he would use the threat of India “pulling apart” as part of his case if he spoke with Modi about the need to defend the rights of “ethnic minorities.” Obama had said that these “large internal conflicts” would be against the interests of both “Muslim India” and “Hindu India.”

India experienced a domestic political reaction as a result of Obama’s remarks. Nirmala Sitharaman, the finance minister, and Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh said that under Obama, the US has attacked six countries with a majority of Muslims. The chief minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, said in a tweet that there were several “Hussain Obamas in India itself” and that the Assam Police will follow its own priorities.

The official said that they had the utmost respect for President Obama when asked whether there was any truth to the claims of a “good cop-bad cop” play here, with Obama conveying a strong message and Biden courting India. But there was no coordination with what he stated since he is a private individual.

While the person said he wouldn’t describe the content of Biden and Modi’s private talks, he could state that “every issue, every kind of issue was raised.”

But President Biden’s approach is to carry it through with tremendous dignity, to show respect to all parties involved, and to act in a cooperative manner. I believe that is what he did with Prime Minister Modi since each nation had certain private issues they wanted to address. Therefore, it wasn’t only the President discussing the problems with PM Modi directly. The depth of their friendship enabled them to discuss matters in a courteous manner and in such a way that I’m convinced that the other heard it and heard it in a spirit of respect, the person said. PM Modi also had a few topics that he wanted to bring up.

The official said, “We have made very clear that we feel free and open press is crucial. When questioned about the issue surrounding WSJ writer Sabrina Siddiqui’s query to Modi. Sincere speaking, we oppose all forms of internet abuse. Indeed, it really worries us.

The source did, however, emphasise that their attention had been on the summit’s very good reception. “The overwhelming majority of the reaction has been supportive, encouraging, and has essentially praised what I believe to be an impressive set of accomplishments on the parts of President Biden and Prime Minister Modi. And, I believe that’s acceptable since both leaders deserve to get the praise.