Speaking at the White House National Prayer Breakfast, with the Dalai Lama in his audience, President Barack Obama spoke of his recent trip to India and drew attention once again to the country’s cultural diversity and religious differences.

“Michelle and I returned from India - an incredible, beautiful country, full of magnificent diversity - but a place where, in past years, religious faiths of all types have, on occasion, been targeted by other people of faith, simply due to their heritage and their beliefs - acts of intolerance that would have shocked [Mahatma] Gandhiji, the person who helped to liberate that nation,” Obama said.

This is not the first time that Obama has addressed the issue of religious intolerance in the Indian subcontinent. On the last day of his three-day trip to the country end January, Obama delivered a speech saying India would succeed as long as it did not allow religious issues to divide it.

“India will succeed so long as it is not splintered on religious lines. … Nowhere is it more important to uphold religious freedom than in India,” he had said.

The Indian government was quick to respond to Obama’s comment and it did so with a sharp jibe.

“The best example of India's tolerance was the Dalai Lama sitting next to Obama. … India has a huge history of tolerance. Any aberrations don't alter India's history of tolerance,” said Union Minister Arun Jaitley.

Jaitley’s defensive reaction came after Obama’s parting comment had the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party’s (BJP) political opponents take digs at India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

While Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal said,

“I think Mr Modi will answer this, they are very good friends,”

Congress leader Manish Tiwari tweeted,

“Did the Prime Ministerial Tea reinforce Barrack's understanding of the revivalism & intolerance intrinsic in the BJP government? Another stinker?”

Many viewed Obama’s comment as a critique of the BJP-led Indian government, which has been accused of consciously encouraging radical individuals and groups of promoting a pro-Hindu agenda in the country.

The White House, however, clarified that Obama’s comment had been misconstrued by the Indian media.

“I think that's been somewhat misconstrued, if you look at the context of the entire speech, it's really about inclusivity. It's about the power of diversity,” said Phil Reiner, White House's senior director for South Asian Affairs.

Earlier, a United States Congress-established commission on international religious freedom lauded Obama for deepening America’s relationship with India, while drawing attention to the issue of religious freedom in the country.

“President Obama's timely comments underscore the importance of India getting religious freedom right. … India is one of the United States' most important partners. … It is the world's largest democracy with nearly 1.22 billion people, a deeply pluralistic society, and the birthplace of numerous religions. This society includes the world's third-largest Muslim population and a Christian population larger than several European countries. Our two nations share many values and upholding religious freedom must be one of them,” said Katrina Lantos Swett, Chairwoman of the US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

Reportedly, members of USCIRF were refused visa by India’s former UPA-led government to send a fact-finding mission that would help assess religious freedom in the country, especially in states like Gujarat and Orissa. In its yearly report, USCIRF was highly critical of the status of religious freedom in India as it compared the country to other authoritarian regimes in the world. After categorizing India as a Tier 2 country, USCIRF offered a statement saying religious freedom continues to be a serious challenge in India and it is an issue that needs to be addressed immediately, given the nation’s cultural diversity and long history or democratic values.

“India's history includes both Article 25 of its Constitution –- which provides for freedom of conscience and the free profession, practice, and propagation of religion -- and its international commitments. … India can meet this challenge by protecting religious minorities and holding accountable the perpetrators of religiously-motivated harassment, intimidation and violence,” Swett said.

Photo Credits: The Blaze