Not proud? Not Indian, says Union Minister Jitendra Singh

New Delhi: Following the outrage over US president Donald Trump calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi the “Father of India”, Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday said those who object to the observation “do not consider themselves Indians.”

“India is being respected in a way that was rare in the past. People who live abroad are proud today of being Indian. This is happening due to the personality and personal outreach of Prime Minister Modi,” said Mr Singh, who is minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office. Mr Singh went on to say that such kind of statement for an Indian leader by any American President is unprecedented. “If an impartial and bold statement co-mes from America and its president then I feel every Indian should feel proud regardless of his political affiliations w-ith any party or ideology. This is the first time that an president has used this kind of words of praise not for an Indian PM but for any other world leader and if someone is not proud of this, then maybe he does not consider himself Indian,” he said.

President Trump on Tuesday while praising Mr Modi in New York said: “I remember India before was very torn. There was a lot of dissension, fighting and he brought it all together. Like a father would. Maybe he is the father of India.”

Reacting to Mr Jitendra Singh’s comment CPI General Secretary Mr D. Raja said: “It is an absurd statement made by the minister. Who is Trump? He is only the President of the USA. Should he decide who the father of India is? Friendship is another thing, we don’t care for that relationship. What we care about is the relationship between the two countries. Whether India gives up its sovereign policy to the US or can resist it, that is the concern,” he said.

Mr Raja went on to add that President Trump’s “Father of India” comment was “hyperbole”, and mere “rhetoric” which should not be taken seriously.