Apr 24, Kathmandu - India has strongly criticized comments made by U.S. President Donald Trump, describing them as 'objectionable' and not reflective of the true state of India-U.S. relations.

Although President Trump did not directly use the words himself, he shared a post on his Truth Social account on Thursday referencing a remark made by American right-wing radio host Michael Savage.

Savage had criticized the U.S. birthright citizenship policy, stating, “Children born here automatically become citizens, and they bring their entire families from hellish places like China, India, or elsewhere in the world.” 

In response, India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar called Savage’s statement “factually incorrect, inappropriate, and offensive.” He added, “These comments do not represent the reality of India-U.S. relations, which have long been based on mutual respect and shared interests.”

The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi quoted President Trump, stating, “India is a great country, and I have good friendships with its top leadership.”

Meanwhile, China’s Foreign Ministry has not issued any immediate response to the controversy.

India’s main opposition party, the Congress, also condemned the remarks, calling them “extremely insulting and anti-India.” The party urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strongly protest the comments with the U.S. President.

According to official Indian government data, nearly 5.5 million Indian-origin people reside in the United States. Indian-Americans and Chinese-Americans constitute the largest Asian-origin communities within the country.