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‘Inappropriate and in poor taste’: India reacts to Trump’s post on citizenship, immigrant remarks

New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) India on Thursday reacted strongly to the social media post by US President Donald Trump, saying they are “obviously uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste.”

Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Randhir Jaiswal, said, “We have seen the comments, as also the subsequent statement issued by the US Embassy in response. The remarks are obviously uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste. They certainly do not reflect the reality of the India-US relationship, which has long been based on mutual respect and shared interests,” mentioned the press release by MEA.

A social media post by US President Donald Trump criticising birthright citizenship and targeting immigrants and advocacy groups has sparked backlash from Indian-American organisations and political leaders, who warned that the remarks could fuel racism and endanger communities.

It included sweeping claims about immigration and demographics, asserting that “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 text also said: “White men need not apply to jobs in the state of California..You’re not getting a job at high-tech firms in California.”

In the post, Trump shared a lengthy commentary criticising birthright citizenship and targeting legal advocacy groups, immigrants, and sections of the Asian-American community. The text described the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) as “a gangster criminal organisation” and alleged that it had “done more damage to this nation than Iran has ever done directly to this nation.”

The remarks drew immediate criticism from the Hindu American Foundation, which said it was “deeply disturbed” by the content. “We are deeply disturbed by @POTUS sharing this hateful, racist screed targeting Indian and Chinese Americans,” the group said in a statement.

It added that “endorsing such rants as the president of the United States will further stoke hatred and endanger our communities, at a time when xenophobia and racism are already at an all-time high.”

–IANS

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