Thank you for covering up for PM Modi: Rahul's snub to Jaishankar on Trump Sarkar row

New Delhi, Oct 01: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday thanked S Jaishankar for covering up for the prime minister's 'incompetence,' hours after the union minister rejected theclaims that the PM Modi was endorsing Donald Trump's re-election bid at the 'Howdy, Modi' event in Houston.

"Thank you Mr Jaishankar for covering up our PM's incompetence. His fawning endorsement caused serious problems with the Democrats for India. I hope it gets ironed out with your intervention. While you're at it, do teach him a little bit about diplomacy," Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

Jaishankar had earlier said Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the phrase 'Ab Ki Baar Trump Sarkar' in the Houston rally, merely referring to what the US president had used to endear himself to the Indian-American community during his presidential campaign.

The external affiars minister strongly refuted the notion that the Prime Minister used the phrase to endorse Trump's candidature for his 2020 re-election campaign.

"No, he (PM) did not say that," the minister said tol the media about the implication of the Prime Minister purportedly using the slogan in his Houston address.

"I think, please, look very carefully at what the prime minister said. My recollection of what the Prime Minister said was that candidate Trump had used this (Ab Ki Baar Trump Sarkar). So PM is talking about the past.

Addressing a mammoth crowd of more than 50,000 Indian-Americans in Houston on September 22, Modi said that India has connected well with Trump.

"The words of candidate Trump, Ab Ki Baar Trump Sarkar, rang loud and clear. And his celebration of Diwali in the White House lit up millions of faces with joy and appreciation," Modi had said amid thunderous applause from the audience.

Congress has accused Modi of endorsing Trump's candidature. While the BJP has denied this.