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What prompted US President Barack Obama's parting remark?

At his last event in Delhi, US president Barack Obama makes a strong pitch for religious tolerance

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Obama weighed in on one of India's most sensitive topics as he wound up a visit on Tuesday, making a plea for freedom of religion to be upheld in a country where relations between Hindus and minorities have come under strain.
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Was it pressures from domestic Christian groups or his one-hour long meeting with the Congress president Sonia Gandhi, vice-president Rahul Gandhi and his old friend, former prime minister Manmohan Singh that led the US President Barack Obama to rile against religious intolerance?

Just a day before his arrival, The New York Times had set the tone, saying important economic work of economic reforms in India was getting derailed due to divisive agenda.

Congress insiders said the visiting president had raised the issue during his meeting with the party leaders too, which they said was a total contrast to two days of effusive praise of prime minister Narendra Modi and the new found chemistry between the two.

Apparently reserved for a parting kick while winding up the three-day visit to Delhi, Obama on Tuesday aired his concern for the minorities under attack by the majority Hindus, saying "India will succeed so long as it is not splintered along the religious lines," and asserting that "every person has the right to practise his faith without any persecution, fear or discrimination."

His remarks seen as direct attack on the religious divisiveness and the re-conversions or 'ghar wapasi' (home coming), he also expressed concern over little safety to women in India.

Indian diplomats also concede to fight the perception of minorities under attack or the country becoming the benchmark of tolerance was becoming difficult in the wake of statements of a section of religious leaders owing allegiance to the ruling BJP.

Images of a fire at the Roman Catholic Saint Sebastian's Church in New Delhi or accounts from Asroi in Uttar Pradesh of a torn cross on a church wall with an idol of Lord Shiva in its place had been played up by media in America's south, which is deeply Christian.

The government was saved of embarrassment, however, because prime minister Narendra Modi did not participate the last event of Obama at Sri Fort auditorium in South Delhi, where he addressed prominent people, scholars and young students.

But eyebrows were raised at Obama choosing to become critical of the host country. He cited Article 25 of the Indian Constitution dealing with the Right to Freedom of religion.

"Your (Constitution) Article 25 says all people are equally entitled to the freedom of conscience and have right to freely profess and practise and propagate religion. In both our countries, in all countries upholding with freedom of religion is the utmost responsibility of the government but also the responsibility of every person," he said, stressing that "In India and America, our diversity is our strength, and we have to guard against dividing ourselves along sectarian lines."

Obama gently nudged India to fulfill its Constitution's pledge to uphold the "dignity of the individual," drawing on his own experience as a minority in the United States. Obama made out his case for minorities by narrating own experience as a minority in the United States, noting that he had extraordinary opportunities, but "There were moments in my life where I've been treated differently because of the color of my skin.

Touting importance of religious tolerance, he noted the persistent false rumours that he is a Muslim, not a Christian."

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