Hugs, handshakes and even a slap on the wristâthatâs how the âtrue friendshipâ between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump has played out since the latter took office. The optics are usually great, but Trumpâs mercurial nature has often been a cause of embarrassment for Modi. The Prime Ministerâs highly touted US visit this time is no different.
At the âHowdy Modiâ event on Sunday, without naming Pakistan, Modi said, âWhether it is 9/11 in the United States or 26/11 in Mumbai, where can its conspirators be found?â. With Trump present at the event, he also called for a âdecisive fightâ against terrorism and âthose who promote terrorismâ.
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Most major newspapers at home played this up on Monday, saying that the allies had made a âstrong statement against sponsors of terrorâ.
Modiâs flattery of Trump seems to border on endorsement, which has riled up the Congress back home. While introducing Trump at âHowdy Modiâ, the Prime Minister said, âThe words of candidate TrumpâAbki Baar Trump Sarkarârang loud and clear and his celebration in the White House lit up millions of faces with joy and appreciationâ.
The Sunday event, as Brajesh Upadhyay of BBC points out, was a chance for Trump to court Indian-Americans months ahead of the 2020 US elections. For Modi, Upadhyay says, it was a PR triumph and might âhelp him shrug off the criticism over his recent strong-arm polices at homeâ.
Republicans have been trying for years to woo Indian Americans, who register and vote at high rates, Politico points out. The report cites a poll by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, which says that over 80% of Indian Americans voted for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Despite the bonhomie and Modiâs flattery of Trump, the US Presidentâs double speak on Pakistan and Prime Minister Imran Khan should be a matter of concern to the Indian Prime Minister.
Choose your BFF already, Trump
A day after the âHowdy Modiâ event, Trump met Khan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York and said he âtrusts Pakistanâ.
âI trust this gentleman right here. And I do trust Pakistan. I know â I have a lot of Pakistani friends living in New York. Theyâre smart. Great negotiators, by the way, in case you had any questions. Theyâre among the toughest negotiators in the world.â
When asked if he endorses Modiâs claims that Pakistan is the hub of terrorism, Trump said, âWell, I really have been pointing much more to Iran. I mean, Iran if you look at what, thatâs been really the state of terror.â
After offering to mediate again on Kashmir if both sides agreed, Trump said he heard a âvery aggressiveâ statement on Sunday. âI was sitting there and I heard a very aggressive statement yesterday from India, from the Prime Minister, and I will say it was very well received within the ruleâyou know, within in the room.â
Ahead of the bilateral meeting with Khan, Trump said that he has a âgood relationshipâ with both Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Khan.
The fact that a day after praising Modi, Trump refused to endorse Modiâs allegations on terrorism and Pakistan and lavished generous praise on Khan was not lost on commentators on Twitter.
This is not the first time Trump has done a flip-flop on India and Pakistan. Last year, he cut aid to Islamabad, saying that Pakistan doesnât âdo a damn thingâ for the US. In November last year, he forced Khan to react after saying in a Fox News interview, cited by Reuters, that Osama bin Laden had been living in âa nice mansionâ in Pakistan next to a military academy and âeverybody in Pakistan knew he was thereâ.
Trump has also put Modi in a tough spot often. In July, he said the Prime Minister had asked him to mediate on Kashmir, leading to a huge outcry in India with opposition parties demanding an explanation from Modi. India was forced to deny that Modi asked for mediation, insisting that it can only be discussed bilaterally.
Trumpâs statements run counter to Indiaâs aim of isolating Pakistan within the international community. This may not be the last time the mercurial US president embarrasses his âtrue friendâ Modi.