Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to slam Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his 'Abki baar, Trump Sarkar' slogan during the 'Howdy, Modi!' event in Houston. Hours after Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar rejected the idea that Modi was endorsing US President Donald Trump's re-election bid, Rahul thanked him for covering up for the prime minister's 'incompetence.'
File image of Rahul Gandhi. PTI
Asking Jaishankar to teach Modi a little about diplomacy, Rahul tweeted, "Thank you Mr. Jaishankar for covering up our PM’s incompetence. His fawning endorsement caused serious problems with the Democrats for India. I hope it gets ironed out with your intervention. While you’re at it, do teach him a little bit about diplomacy."
During a media interaction in Washington, Jaishankar rejected the notion that Modi endorsed Trump's re-election in the upcoming presidential elections. "No, he did not say that," Jaishankar was quoted by PTI when asked about the implication of the prime minister purportedly using the slogan in his Houston address.
Thank you Mr Jaishankar for covering up our PM’s incompetence. His fawning endorsement caused serious problems with the Democrats for India. I hope it gets ironed out with your intervention. While you’re at it, do teach him a little bit about diplomacy.https://t.co/LfHIQGT4Ds
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 1, 2019
"I think, please, look very carefully at what the prime minister said. My recollection of what the prime minister said was that candidate Trump had used this (“Ab Ki Baar Trump Sarkaar”). So PM is talking about the past. I don’t think we should, honestly, misinterpret what was said. I don’t think you’re doing a good service to anybody,” Jaishankar said in response to the question.
Addressing a mammoth crowd of more than 50,000 Indian Americans in Houston on September 22, Modi said that “we in India have connected well” with Trump.
"The words of candidate Trump, “Abki baar Trump sarkar”, rang loud and clear. And his celebration of Diwali in the House — White House — lit up millions of faces with joy and appreciation," Modi had said amid thunderous applause from the audience.
Soon thereafter the opposition Congress party in India accused Prime Minister Modi of endorsing Trump's candidate. The ruling BJP has denied this.
Trump's campaign team for US 2020 elections clearly interpreted it as endorsement for him. Here are screenshots from the press secretary for his campaign and his team. https://t.co/LSP2nlXKvK pic.twitter.com/kWhZ4zgHH8
— Anita Joshua (@anitajoshua) October 1, 2019
"I mean, he (Modi) was pretty clear what he was talking about. He was saying, this is what you said as a candidate, which showed that you were trying to, (connect with India and its people even as a candidate)," Jaishankar said, urging the journalist to be accurate.
"We have a very nonpartisan (approach to domestics US politics). So, our sort of approach to whatever happens in this country is their politics, not our politics," Jaishankar said.
October 01, 2019 at 12:50PM
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