I don’t want to say anything on CAA, it’s up to India: Prez Trump amid Delhi violence

US President Donald Trump speaks as Prime Minister Narendra Modi listens during a joint press conference at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on February 25, 2020. (File Photo: AFP)


US President Donald Trump, on Tuesday, said that “he discussed about Citizenship law protests and religious freedom with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and PM Modi wants people to have religious freedom”.

President Trump further said that he did not discuss “individual attacks” and those were “up to India.”

“We did talk about religious freedom. I will say that the Prime Minister was incredible and he told me that he wants people to have religious freedom. He told me that in India they have worked very hard to have great and open religious freedom. If we look back and look at what’s going relative to other places…they have really worked hard on religious freedom,” President Trump said.

Trump on India visit said these were great and fantastic two days. He held comprehensive talks with Modi on the second day of his visit to Delhi.
Trump at a press conference said, “I’m gonna be not at all controversial because…I don’t want to blow the two days plus two days of travel on one answer, one little answer, like John will ask me one simple question and you will blow it out and that will be the end of the trip. You won’t even talk about the trip. So I will be very conservative in my answers if you don’t mind.”

Taliking about the Kashmir issue, the US President called it a “big problem” between India and Pakistan and reiterated his offer to mediate between the two countries to ease the tension.

“If anything I can do to mediate, I will do. I have good equation with Pakistan PM Imran Khan. They are working to control cross-border terrorism,” he said.

President Trump concluded his two day visit on February 25. On day 1 of his visit, US President Donald Trump arrived in India to a rousing welcome at Ahemadabad’s Motera stadium with over a 100,000 attendees at the ‘Namaste Trump’ event. He was accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, his daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner for the much-anticipated visit.

After wrapping up events in Ahmedabad, the First Family reached Agra in the evening and visited the iconic Taj Mahal.

India and the United States inked three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on Tuesday in New Delhi on US President Donald Trump’s second day of his maiden visit to the country.

The Northeast Delhi violence coincided with the US President’s visit. Several people have lost their lives and more than 150, including a child, have been injured as armed mobs continued to rampage through parts of northeast Delhi on Tuesday, looting and burning buildings. Delhi police had also issued shoot at sight orders in parts of the northeast district on Tuesday evening as situation remained tense.

There have been continuous protests across the country since the Citizenship Act, passed in December, with Delhi being the epicentre of anti- CAA protests.

Earlier, more than 25 people got killed before the clashes in  northeast Delhi. Shaheen Bagh was the site of  peaceful anti-CAA protests as many protesters staged a sit-in on December 15, the day when the police took violent action on the protesting students of Jamia Millia Islamia students.  JNU too joined the protests but violence rocked the campus as well.

The violence started on Saturday last week after BJP leader Kapil Mishra carried out a rally in Jaffrabad area and gave a three day ultimatum to the anti-CAA protesters in the area to clear. “Three days’ ultimatum for Delhi Police – clear the roads in Jaffrabad and Chand Bagh. After this, we won’t listen to you,” he declared. In a video of the speech he can be seen making these incendiary comments even as a Delhi Police officer stands next to him.

However, no action has been taken against Mishra from the party.