India on Thursday offered a guarded response to US President Donald Trump, who cited a controversial letter on US birthright citizenship and referred to India and China as “hellholes on the planet.”
Responding to questions about the controversy, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal avoided direct comment, saying, “We’ve seen some reports. That’s where I’ll leave it.”
What Trump Said
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Platform | Truth Social |
| Context | Criticising US birthright citizenship |
| The Letter | Reposted a letter questioning hiring patterns in California’s tech sector |
| Allegation | Jobs disproportionately taken by workers from India and China (no evidence provided) |
| Controversial Line | “A baby here becomes an instant citizen, and then they bring in their entire family from China, or India or some other hellhole on the planet.” |
The controversy centres on a letter reposted by Trump that questions hiring patterns in California’s technology sector. It alleges that job opportunities are disproportionately taken by workers from India and China, though no evidence is presented to support the assertion.
A key focus of the message is the debate over birthright citizenship in the US – a long-standing legal and political issue that has re-emerged in public discourse.
India’s Guarded Response
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Official Spokesperson | Randhir Jaiswal (MEA) |
| Response | “We’ve seen some reports. That’s where I’ll leave it.” |
| Tone | Guarded, avoiding direct comment |
India’s restrained response avoided escalating the matter diplomatically, choosing instead to acknowledge the reports without engaging with the controversial language.
Iran Defends India and China
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Respondent | Iranian Embassy in Hyderabad |
| Platform | X (formerly Twitter) |
| Response | “China and India are the cradles of civilisation.” |
| Counter-jibe | “The hellhole is where its war-criminal president threatened to decimate civilisation in Iran.” |
Responding to Trump’s jibe, Iran defended India and China, describing both as “cradles of civilisation.”
The Context of the Controversy
The controversy unfolded alongside a fragile ceasefire involving Iran, extended by Trump earlier this week amid uncertainty over a second round of talks. Although hostilities have eased, Trump has said a US naval blockade around the Strait of Hormuz remains in effect – a move Tehran argues undermines the ceasefire’s intent.
