Former US President Barack Obama on Thursday joined the growing list of American politicians and civil society members clamouring to get President Joe Biden to raise concerns about the erosion of religious, media and political freedoms in India when he meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Obama’s comments came in an interview with CNN an hour before the Prime Minister was to arrive at the White House for the ceremonial welcome.

Asked how Biden should engage with leaders like Modi, Obama said: “If the President meets with Prime Minister Modi, then the protection of the Muslim minority in a majority Hindu India, that’s something worth mentioning.”

Stating that he had dealt with the Chinese President and Modi to get the Paris Accords done, Obama added: “If I had a conversation with Prime Minister Modi —whom I know well — part of my argument would be that if you do not protect the rights of ethnic minorities in India, then there is a strong possibility (that) India, at some point, starts pulling apart and we have seen what happens when you start getting those kinds of large internal conflicts.

“That would be contrary to the interests not just of Muslim India but also Hindu India. I think it’s important to be able to talk about these things honestly.”

Biden was Vice-President through the Obama years in the White House.

His administration’s decision to invite Modi for a state visit — complete with a gala White House dinner — has put Biden’s election commitment to the defence of democracy under the scanner.

Biden’s detractors, including some from within his own Democratic Party, have urged him to raise with Modi the issues of minority rights and democratic backsliding in India.

At least five of Biden’s party colleagues have announced they would boycott Modi’s address to the joint sitting of the US Congress on Thursday.

On Wednesday, a two-time US presidential aspirant, Senator Bernie Sanders, sought to mount pressure on Biden to bring up the crackdown on the media and civil society in India during his meeting with Modi.

Sanders was among the 75 US lawmakers who signed a letter to Biden asking him to raise with Modi concerns about religious and media freedom in India.

The progressive politician later underscored the message with a tweet that said: “Prime Minister Modi's government has cracked down on the press and civil society, jailed political opponents, and pushed an aggressive Hindu nationalism that leaves little space for India's religious minorities. President Biden should raise these facts in his meeting with Modi.”

Sanders had earlier too spoken out about happenings in India. During his run for the Democratic ticket against Biden in 2020, he had raised the issue of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.

He had criticised then US President Donald Trump for failing to raise human rights issues with the Indian government despite “anti-Muslim mob violence” in Delhi during his India visit in February 2020.

While the substantive part of their engagement was scheduled for Thursday, Modi and Biden had a private meeting on Wednesday night at the White House.

The ceremonial welcome was held on Thursday morning on the White House lawns where the Indian diaspora had turned up in numbers. But not all were there to greet Modi: some held up posters with the hashtag #StopHindutvaFascism.

After Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, three more lawmakers have announced their intent to boycott Modi’s address to a joint sitting of the US Congress.

“Prime Minister Modi has a shameful history of committing human rights abuses, undermining democracy, and targeting journalists,” tweeted Congresswoman Cori Bush.

“In solidarity with the communities that have been harmed by Modi and his policies, I will be boycotting his joint address to Congress.”

Congressman Jamaal Bowman tweeted: “We’veseen how Prime MinisterModi has incited dangerous nationalism and violence in India, has promoted Islamophobia, and more. Inviting someone like him to speak to Congress is unacceptable, and I will not be attending his speech.”

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made a similar announcement.

The National Press Club, Washington, also issued a statement articulating the hope that the Biden administration would raise issues relating to media freedom in India with Modi.

“The visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States comes at a fragile time for India, which is the largest democracy in the world. The National Press Club has grave concerns about the crackdown on independent media and civil society under the Modi government,” the statement said.

“Too often, we receive reports of journalists being attacked, both online and in-person. These assaults pose a significant danger not only to Indian journalists but also to Indian democracy. The government of India does not do enough to protect journalists from partisan assaults and can sometimes incite the violence through its rhetoric.”

Thirteen human rights organisations have written to Congressman Ro Khanna urging him to stand up for pluralism and human rights in Uttarakhand and Manipur while Modi is being serenaded in the US.

Khanna — who had spoken out against Hindutva nationalism in the past — recently disappointed the secular liberal sections of the Indian diaspora by pushing for an invite to Modi to address the joint sitting of the US Congress.