New Delhi: Referring to former US president and current Republican Presidential contender Donald Trump as his “friend,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday condemned the assassination attempt on Trump and expressed concern over the incident, stating that “violence has no place in politics and democracies.”
Modi said on social media platform X, “Deeply concerned by the attack on my friend, former President Donald Trump. Strongly condemn the incident. Violence has no place in politics and democracies. Wish him a speedy recovery. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the deceased, those injured, and the American people.”
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also condemned the assassination attempt.
In his reaction, Gandhi said, “I am deeply concerned by the assassination attempt on former US president Donald Trump. Such acts must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.”
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expressed his outrage, saying, “Deeply appalled by the attack on former US president Donald Trump. I strongly condemn this heinous act. Such violence has no place in any democracy and civilised society. As India stands with the American people, we offer our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.”
It may be noted that Modi had a strong rapport with Trump during his presidency. While support for India-US ties has been bipartisan in the US, backed by both Republicans and Democrats, recent months have seen several irritants in ties between the Biden administration and the Modi government. Issues include the Pannun case, religious freedom, human rights, and close bilateral ties between India and Russia.
Presidential elections in the US are scheduled for November this year, and according to reports, Trump is leading President Joe Biden in national polls.
In what was seen as a direct warning to New Delhi from the Biden administration following Prime Minister Modi’s successful visit to Russia, US ambassador to India Eric Garcetti recently stated that a “cynical calculation” cannot pass off as a “trusted relationship” between India and the US. He also mentioned that while ties with India are deeper than ever, “it is not yet deep enough.”
After facing criticism from American officials on human rights and religious freedom issues, India recently responded by highlighting numerous cases of hate crimes, racial attacks on Indian nationals, and the vandalisation and targeting of places of worship in the US. India also noted the mistreatment by law enforcement authorities and the political space accorded to advocates of extremism and terrorism abroad.
