Congress leader Kapil Sibal slams Centre over Donald Trump's 'filthy air' remark

New Delhi, Oct 23: Congress leaders Kapil Sibal took a dig at the Centre on Friday for US President Donald Trump's remark that "India's air is filthy" and linked the outburst to the "Howdy Modi" event that was held in Houston, Texas, on September 22, 2019.

The "Howdy Modi" event was attended by about 50,000 people of Indian origin from across the US. Besides Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump had also addressed the gathering.

Taking to Twitter, Sibal said, "Fruits of Friendship. 1) Questions India's coronavirus disease (Covid-19) death toll. 2) Says India sends dirt up into the air. India's 'air is filthy'. 3) Called India 'tariff king'. The result of 'Howdy Modi' !".

Recently, during the final presidential debate with his Democratic challenger Joe Biden in Nashville, Tennessee, Trump accused China, India and Russia of not taking care of their "filthy air", while justifying America's withdrawal from the "unfair" Paris climate agreement, which was signed in 2016.

"Look at China, how filthy it is. Look at Russia. Look at India, it's filthy. The air is filthy," Trump said during the presidential debate.

Meanwhile, Shergill, too, slammed the central government for not responding to Trump's accusation.

"BJP's (Bharatiya Janata Party) foreign policy trump card is boasting about Modi-Trump friendship and President Trump's election card seems to be berating India. Not naming China when they trespass and not responding to Trump when he labels India's air 'filthy' is the BJP's version of nationalism!! Howdy punctures 56 inches (of Modi's chest)," the Congress spokesperson tweeted.