New Delhi, Apr 23: Hours after US President Donald Trump’s “hellhole” comments about Indians, the Government of India said the remarks are “inappropriate and in poor taste”.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, who earlier in day refrained from commenting on Trump’s demeaning comments, issued a statement tonight but still did not directly refer to the remarks of the US President.
Jaiswal, in the statement, said he was responding to “further questions on a social media post that had referred, among other things, to Indians.”
He said: “We have seen the comments, as also the subsequent statement issued by the US Embassy in response.
“The remarks are obviously uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste. They certainly do not reflect the reality of the India-US relationship, which has long been based on mutual respect and shared interests.”
Earlier in the day, while responding to a question on Trump’s comment, told reporters: “We have seen the comment. We will leave it at it.”
What Triggered the Controversy
The issue arose after Donald Trump reshared content from a podcast titled Savage Nation, hosted by conservative commentator Michael Savage.
In the podcast, Savage used highly critical language about immigration to the United States, referring to countries including India and China in derogatory terms. The remarks included claims opposing birthright citizenship and strong criticism of immigrant communities.
Trump shared both the video and transcript of the podcast, aligning with its stance on immigration policy and questioning the US Supreme Court’s position on birthright citizenship.
Political Reactions in India
The remarks triggered political reactions in India, with opposition parties demanding a formal response from the government.
The Indian National Congress alleged that repeated critical comments from Trump reflected negatively on India-US relations and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take up the matter diplomatically. The party described the remarks as offensive and called for stronger engagement with US authorities.
