On anti-India activities in US, Trump first ducks over ‘accent’ and then says 'more [action] to follow’

While addressing a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump attempted to duck a question on anti-India activities in the US, by just saying he couldn’t get the accent. When asked again, Trump assured that there will be more actions to deal with these anti-Indian elements. On Thursday, Trump met PM Modi in the White House and announced that Washington would extradite one of the plotters of the 26/11 terror attacks Tahawwur Hussain Rana.

When asked about the pro-Khalistani activities in the US and Canada, Trump attempted to dodge the question by saying he couldn’t hear the question. “You’re gonna have to go louder…,” Trump said. When the reporter tried to ask the question again Trump said that he couldn’t understand “a word he’s saying.” This is not the first time Trump struggled with accents or used them as a tool to dodge a question.

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Last month, he struggled to answer a question of an Afghan journalist, because he couldn’t understand her accent. In the Thursday presser, when Trump was asked the same question again by a different journalist, the president was able to give a bit of clarity on the matter.

“I don’t think India had a good relationship with the Biden administration…A lot of things happened that weren’t very appropriate between India and the Biden Administration,” Trump responded, taking a potshot at his predecessor former US President Joe Biden.

#WATCH | Washington, DC: On elements in the US working against India, including Khalistani separatists, President Donald Trump says, "I don't think India had a good relationship with the Biden administration...A lot of things happened that weren't very appropriate between India… pic.twitter.com/ASKUt15iv4

— ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2025

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“We are giving a very violent man (Tahawwur Rana) back to India immediately. There are more to follow because we have quite a few requests. So, we work with India on crime and we want to make it good for India,” he added.

PM Modi hails Trump’s tough stance on terrorism

During the joint press briefing, the prime minister lauded Trump’s tough stance on terrorism, expressing gratitude for the extradition of Rana. “India and America have been together in the fight against terrorism. We agree that solid action must be taken to eliminate terrorism that originates on the other side of the border,” PM Modi said in the briefing.

“I am thankful to the president that he has decided to extradite a criminal to India who committed genocide in 2008 in India. The courts in India will take proper action,” he added.

On January 21, the US Supreme Court denied a writ petition of certiorari filed by Rana. The 26/11 plotter had filed a petition to prevent his extradition to India. The petition, filed in November 2024, was against a lower court order which had ruled in favour of Rana’s extraction.

The devastating 26/11 attack resulted in the deaths of 174 people, including 20 security personnel and 26 foreigners. Over 300 people were injured in the horrific attack which took place in Mumbai’s Taj Hotel.

With inputs from agencies.