By Michelle Alles
New Delhi (CWBN)_ US President Donald Trump, speaking at the final presidential debate before the November 3rd elections, referred to the air in India as “filthy”.
His remarks have drawn angry reactions from Indian citizens, with some asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take notice of his statement, while others agreeing that the air in the capital was among the most foul in the world.
President Trump last month hailed his “great friend” Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the claims of a warm rapport that have since developed between the two countries. Trump claimed the support of Indian Americans voting in next month’s US presidential election. However, only election results will tell how greatly his popularity has decreased among that particular voter base.
Trump used the contemptuous remark to defend his decision to pull out of the Paris accord – a key global deal to combat climate change by reducing CO2 emission. His comment provoked an immediate response from Twitter users on the subcontinent, with the social media hashtag “#FilthyIndia” trending online.
Some of the posts pointed to the appalling quality of air in the national capital, while others posted images of open defecation to say that Mr Trump was not, in fact, incorrect.
“Instead of getting all insulted and upset, can we just take it up as a challenge to clean up our surroundings and our air? So no one can ever dare say that again,” writer Kiran Manral tweeted.
The American president has frequently claimed that both China and India produce more CO2 than his country and should be appropriately penalised, but according to a Washington Post report this year, India is still outside a list of 100 countries when emissions are calculated per person. The subcontinent is well behind China and the US; the US is 14th while India is 140th.
