Trump hurt India’s reputation by not mentioning Gandhi in vistor’s book: CM

JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday accused US President Donald Trump of hurting the country’s reputation by not mentioning Mahatma Gandhi in the visitor’s book at the Sabarmati Ashram.

Gehlot said a person who does not have any regard for Mahatma Gandhi, whose ideology does not match with that of Gandhi was taken to the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad.

“Mahatma Gandhi’s name was not mentioned in the comments, Narendra Modi’s name was written. I think that it has hurt the reputation of the country,” the chief minister told reporters here. Trump visited the Sabarmati Ashram on Monday. In his message in the visitor’s book, he wrote: “To my great friend Prime Minister Modi - Thank you for this wonderful visit.”

The next day, during his visit to the Rajghat in Delhi, the US president paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi. “The American people stand strongly with a sovereign and wonderful India -The vision of the great Mahatma -- This is a tremendous honour!” Trump wrote in the visitors book at Rajghat. Expressing concerns over the violence in Delhi, Gehlot said it was the result of polarisation which was done during the Delhi Assembly elections.

“A campaign was run in Delhi elections for polarisation. They could not succeed that time because the public taught them a lesson but it is the result of the campaign which the entire world is seeing now,” he said, targeting the BJP. Gehlot said that US president’s programme remained intact despite the dharnas and demonstrations being held across the country and in the national capital. “Neither the prime minister nor the home minister is speaking. It is very unfortunate that such big incidents have happened, people lost lives in Delhi. Nobody knows what is happening in the country,” he said. However, Prime Minist e r Narendra Modi appealed for peace and brotherhood on Wednesday in his first reaction to the incidents of violence in northeast Delhi.