India on Thursday criticised as inappropriate a post by US President Donald Trump that described the South Asian country as a “hellhole.”
The remarks come ahead of a planned visit next month to India by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is expected to work toward easing recent tensions between the normally friendly nations.
Trump late Wednesday shared a social media post — apparently authored by someone else — criticising the US constitutional principle of birthright citizenship, which grants citizenship to anyone born in the country.
The post accused Indian immigrants working in the technology sector of not hiring white, native-born Americans and inaccurately claimed that Indian immigrants lack proficiency in English.
“A baby here becomes an instant citizen, and then they bring the entire family in from China or India or some other hellhole on the planet,” the post said.
Responding to the remarks, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called them “obviously uninformed, inappropriate, and in poor taste.”
He added that the comments “do not reflect the reality of the India–US relationship, which has long been based on mutual respect and shared interests.”
US Congressman Ami Bera, whose parents immigrated from India, described Trump’s post as “offensive, ignorant and beneath the dignity of the office he holds.”
“President Trump, who was born into wealth and privilege, has never had to struggle the way so many immigrant families have,” he said.
The Hindu American Foundation also voiced concern, calling the message a “hateful, racist screed.”
The group warned that amplifying such rhetoric could stoke hatred and endanger minority communities amid rising xenophobia.
Trump, who has made a broad crackdown on immigration a central policy stance, has also targeted visa programmes commonly used by Indian tech workers.
He has for months maintained significant tariffs on India following tensions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Modi downplayed Trump’s claims of mediating during a conflict between Pakistan and India.
Trump’s recent friction with India contrasts with decades of efforts by successive US administrations to maintain strong ties with the world’s largest democracy, often viewed as a strategic counterweight to China.
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