NEW DELHI: India, in its first reaction to US President Donald Trump's controversial 'hellhole' remark referring to India and China, said it has seen the reports but stopped short of issuing a detailed response.
Addressing a media briefing on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We have seen some reports. That's where I leave it."
This comes after Trump reshared an anti-immigrant social media post on his platform Truth Social that described immigration into the United States and referenced countries including India and China in derogatory terms, triggering political backlash and criticism.
"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. You don't have to go too far to see that. English is not spoken here anymore. That there's almost no loyalty to this country amongst the immigrant class coming in today, which was not always the case," it read.
Also Read | 'China, India or some other hellhole ... ': Trump reshares anti-immigrant rant as approval rating dips
It goes further, alleging systemic bias in employment and immigration systems: "You have to be from India or China because almost all the internal mechanisms are set up to run by Indians and Chinese." The post also claims that integration seen in earlier waves of European immigration "is long over," arguing that the United States has shifted from a "melting pot" to a "cash in pot."
Reacting strongly, the Congress party condemned the remarks and also targeted the government, calling the statement 'extremely insulting and anti-India' and demanding a firm response from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
US President Trump has called India a "HELLHOLE," the Congress said in its reaction, adding that the comment "hurts every Indian" and urging PM Modi to raise the issue with Washington.
"However, given his track record so far, it cannot be expected that he will say anything in front of Trump," the party added, further alleging that PM Modi remained silent despite repeated remarks by the US President.
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