india

Updated: Oct 02, 2019 07:01 IST

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday tweeted a “thank you” to external affairs minister S Jaishankar for clarifying PM Modi’s “Trump sarkar” remark, which many perceive as an interference in another country’s politics.

“Thank you Mr Jaishankar for covering up our PM’s incompetence. His fawning endorsement caused serious problems with the Democrats for India. I hope it gets ironed out with your intervention. While you’re at it, do teach him a little bit about diplomacy,” tweeted Rahul Gandhi.

Jaishankar, who is on a three-day trip to Washington DC, strongly refuted the notion that PM Modi used the phrase to endorse Trump’s candidature for his 2020 re-election campaign.

“I think, please, look very carefully at what the prime minister said. My recollection of what the prime minister said was that candidate Trump had used this (“Ab Ki Baar Trump Sarkaar”). So PM is talking about the past.

“I don’t think we should, honestly, misinterpret what was said. I don’t think you’re doing a good service to anybody,” Jaishankar said while answering journalists.

“I mean, he (Modi) was pretty clear what he was talking about. He was saying, this is what you said as a candidate, which showed that you were trying to, (connect with India and its people even as a candidate),” Jaishankar added.

Jaishankar went on to add that India has a non-partisan approach towards domestic US domestic politics.

PM Modi during the ‘Howdy, Modi’ event in Houston, with president Trump by his side, told the Indian-Americans gathered there “ Abki baar Trump Sarkar”, which critics say was interference in another country’s electoral process.

The Congress then reminded the PM that he was not a star candidate in the US polls.