New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Thursday termed as “completely unacceptable” US President Donald Trump’s mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi over India’s reconstruction programmes in Afghanistan and hoped the government would take it up “firmly” with the US.
“The tenor and tone of the American President describing the Prime Minister of India is not in good taste and is completely unacceptable,” said Patel.
“Hope our Government responds firmly and reminds America that since 2004, India has built extensive roads, dams in Afghanistan and pledged over $3 billion in assistance,” he said.
Trump on Wednesday (local time) mocked Prime Minister Modi over India funding a library in Afghanistan, suggesting that a library was of no use.
Trump brought up the issue ofIndia’s aid to Afghanistan during a press appearance at a Cabinet meeting as he defended his push for the US to invest less overseas.
While stating that he got along with Prime Minister Modi, Trump said the Indian leader was “constantly telling me he built a library in Afghanistan”.
“You know what that is? That’s like five hours of what we spend, and we are supposed to say, ‘Oh, thank you for the library.’ I don’t know who is using it in Afghanistan,” the US President said.
The Trump administration last month had ordered the withdrawal of around 7,000 troops from Afghanistan in the near future.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]