US President Donald Trump on Wednesday jibed at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi while recounting a meeting between the two, where the Indian PM had asked to meet the US president.
While addressing the House GOP (Grand Old Party) Members’ Retreat, Trump recounted a meeting with Modi, stating that Modi had ordered 68 Apache attack helicopters from the US and had waited five years.
“Prime Minister Modi came to see me. [He said] ‘Sir, may I see you, please?’ Yes,” Trump recalled.
“I have a very good relationship with him. He’s not that happy with me because, you know, they’re paying a lot of tariffs now, because they’re not doing the oil,” he added, referring to India halting imports of Russian oil.
Trump also noted that the US is “getting rich because of tariffs”.
Meanwhile, India’s opposition Congress party took to X and uploaded a caricature of the scene, showing a timid Modi.
In a separate post in Hindi, Congress claimed that Modi went to the US uninvited to meet Trump after he took office last January, quoting the Indian PM’s request to meet him.
“You must remember - among the world‘s leaders, Modi is the only one whom Trump did not come to receive at the gate,” the party wrote, attaching a video of Trump’s remarks.
In response to the remarks, Indian lawmaker Priyanka Chaturvedi took to X and wrote, “His (Trump’s) condescending tone for India’s PM is demeaning. The GoI’s (Government of India) silence to all his insulting statements is bizarre because it reflects poorly on our nation.”
Former Indian minister Subhramanian Swamy shared this post.
The US is imposing 50 per cent tariffs on New Delhi over its purchase of Russian oil, causing tensions to rise between the world’s two largest democracies and strategic partners.
A punitive 25pc tariff was imposed due to India’s purchases of Russian oil, adding to Trump’s prior 25pc tariff on many products from India. It took total duties as high as 50pc for goods such as garments, gems and jewellery, footwear, sporting goods, furniture and chemicals — among the highest imposed by the US and on par with Brazil and China.
However, Trump said during a press gaggle on Air Force One that he could raise the tariffs already in place.
“Modi is a good guy. He knew I was not happy, and it was important to make me happy,” Trump said on Sunday.
“They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly,” Trump said in response to a question on India’s Russian oil purchases.
