Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: A political row erupted on Thursday after US President Donald Trump reshared a post referring to India as a “hell hole”, triggering sharp reactions from the opposition. The opposition criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his alleged “silence,” calling him a “weak PM.”Taking to X, Moitra mocked the Prime Minister’s rapport with Trump, saying, “Hello @narendramodi ji your Phraand Trump just called India a ‘hell hole’ and all Indians ‘gangsters with laptops’.”She then questioned the Prime Minister’s response, asking, “Are you going to protest or are you just going to Khi Khi your way to your next poll rally in Bengal?”
The Congress party also criticised the remarks, calling them “extremely insulting and anti-India.”In a post on X, the party said, “This statement is extremely insulting and anti-India. It hurts every Indian. Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take up this matter with the US President and register a strong objection.”The party went further, attacking the Prime Minister’s past responses to similar controversies. “However, given his track record so far, it cannot be expected that he will say anything in front of Trump. Trump has repeatedly made insulting remarks about India, and Modi has remained silent. Narendra Modi is a weak PM, and the entire country is bearing the brunt of it,” the statement added.The controversy erupted from a post reshared by Trump on his Truth Social platform earlier in the day. The post featured a podcast by American political commentator Michael Savage, in which India, China and other countries were described as “hell-holes.”Trump did not add any caption while resharing the content, but the move has been seen as aligning with his recent rhetoric on immigration and domestic policy debates in the United States.
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In the podcast, Savage made a series of controversial and widely criticised claims while arguing for changes to US birthright citizenship laws.He alleged that people from countries like India and China travel to the United States to “drop a baby in the ninth month,” thereby securing citizenship for their children. The post further claimed that such laws allow migrants to “bring the entire family in from China or India or some other hellhole on the planet.”The remarks also included broader allegations about immigration and integration, stating that “English is not spoken here anymore” and claiming that there is “almost no loyalty to this country amongst the immigrant class coming in today.”Earlier in the day, addressing a media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said they have have seen some reports on the controversial “hellhole” remark but stopped short of issuing a detailed response.Jaiswal said, “We have seen some reports. That’s where I leave it.”The remarks come as West Bengal heads into Assembly elections, with the first phase of polling on April 23, followed by the second phase on April 29. The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
