A post by US President Donald Trump on social media has invited not just criticism but is being seen as an offence by India.

In the post, Trump had denounced the US constitutional right to citizenship of everyone born in the country, and accused Indian immigrants in the tech industry of not hiring white native-born Americans. It also alleged that Indian immigrants lacked English proficiency.

“A baby here becomes an instant citizen, and then they bring the entire family in from China or India or some other hellhole on the planet,” the post said.

Trump branding the South Asian country a ‘hellhole’, evoked an immeditate response from Indian foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal, who said the statement was “obviously uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste”.

Jaiswal added that the comments “certainly do not reflect the reality of the India-US relationship, which has long been based on mutual respect and shared interests”.

The Hindu American Foundation also expressed its displeasure, saying it was disturbed by the “hateful, racist screed”. Its response on X read: “Endorsing such rants as the president of the United States will further stoke hatred and endanger our communities, at a time when xenophobia and racism are already at an all-time high.”

Congressman Ami Bera called Trump’s social media post as “offensive, ignorant and beneath the dignity of the office he holds. President Trump, who was born into wealth and privilege, has never had to struggle the way so many immigrant families have”. – editor@nrifocus.com