Obama shouldn't lecture India on religious tolerance: Swamy

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) leader Subramanian Swamy on Wednesday criticised US President Barack Obama for his Town Hall speech, stating that Washington should not lecture India on religious tolerance, and accused Muslims and Christians of brutalising Hindus.

"He (President Obama) should mind his own business. Two million Hindus who are working there (in the US) are not allowed to build their temples; they are not allowed to celebrate Diwali. He only gives lectures here. He says in America they have worked out a harmony. In America, the majority was brutalising the minority. In India, for 800 years, the Islamic minority was brutalising the majority Hindus," said Swamy.

"Even today, minorities are giving us difficulties in Kashmir, in Malapurram in Kerala, in small town panchayats in Tamil Nadu. Therefore, this advice from Obama was totally uncalled for. He should first understand the Indian problem before giving us advice," he added.

Swamy was reacting to President Obama's speech on Tuesday, where he had cautioned India against efforts to divide society on sectarian lines.

"Every person has the right to practice his faith without any persecution, fear or discrimination. India will succeed so long as it is not splintered on religious lines," the US President had said while addressing a gathering at the Siri Fort auditorium in the capital.