India a ‘free society’, lifting millions out of poverty: Donald Trump at UNGA

A day after expressing his love for the country, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday showered praises on India for “successfully lifting” millions out of poverty. Addressing world leaders at the 73^rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session, Trump said, “There is India, a free society (of) over a billion people, successfully lifting countless millions out of poverty and into the middle class.”

The remarks of the US president came days after the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2018 report. As per the GMPI data, India has taken a big leap in reducing multidimensional poverty by bringing down its poverty rate from 55 per cent to 28 per cent in the last decade. 

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According to the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative estimate in association with the UN Development Programme, India has lifted 271 million people from the clutches of poverty between 2005-06 and 2015-16.

On Monday, Trump had a brief interaction with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during a high-level event on counter-narcotics hosted by the US at the United Nations. During the small interaction with Swaraj, Trump expressed his ‘love’ for India and sent warm regards to ‘friend’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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When Swaraj told the US president that Modi has sent warm greetings for him, Trump responded: “I love India, give my regards to my friend PM Modi,” PTI quoted Indian diplomatic sources as saying.