Aboard Air Force One, hours before the landing in Ahmedabad, US President Donald Trump took to Twitter to post a message in Hindi. “Hum Bharat aane ke liye tatpar hain, Hum raste mein hain, kuch hi ghanto mein hum sab milenge! (We are eager to visit India. We are on our way, will reach India in next few years. We will meet shortly),” the US President said on micro-blogging site. In less than 20 minutes, the post has been retweeted 7.8k times and garnered 29.5 K likes. (Namaste Trump LIVE UPDATES)
While Indian officials are billing Trump’s visit as crucial for the bilateral ties between two nations, the Opposition has slammed it as just a PR exercise. Ahead of Trump’s visit, Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece Saamana said that ‘nothing will change.’ The ex-ally of the BJP in the Saamana editorial said that, “There won't be an iota of difference in the lives of the poor and middle-class people in India due to Trump's visit. Then where is the question of people being appreciative or enthusiastic of his tour.” The editorial further said that, "It is reported that Trump will touch upon the issue of curbs on religious freedom in India. These are our internal issues. This country is run by people elected democratically and they don't need guidance from any outsider on this."
The Congress has also raised the concerns over Trump’s visit and its impact on matters related to India. “Trump Govt’s restrictive immigration policies have hit H-1B visas. Indians get 70% of 85000 H-1B Visas. Now, Rejection Rate for India has increased from 6% in 2015 to 24% in 2019, esp. for IT professionals. Post 10 million ppl gala event. Will PM Modi ask for easing H-1B visas,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala asked on Twitter.
Trump generally dislikes foreign travel and prefers being home in his White House bed; in fact, he noted to reporters upon his departure from the White House that it was a long trip to India and that he was only going to be there one night. But he has a particular affinity for India. He owned a hotel and casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, named the Trump Taj Mahal, and he owns multiple properties in India.
(With agency inputs)
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