While US President Donald Trump is bragging about his ‘great friend’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi, looks like the relationship is sailing a rough sea. BJP has asked its members in America to take part in US polls in their individual capacity, and not use the party’s name officially for campaigning.
According to a report by the Indian Express, BJP requested its members in the US not to use the party’s name while campaigning for either the Republicans or the Democrats. Vijay Chauthaiwale, who is in charge of BJP’s Foreign Affairs Department, told the leading daily that he wrote to the Overseas Friends of BJP’s (OFBJP) US chapter and asked them not to use party’s name or forum for election campaigns.
Chauthaiwale told Indian Express, "Every member of OFBJP can actively participate in the process, but in their individual capacity. The BJP as such has no role in the US elections.”
He further said BJP believes that election is a domestic process of that country and the BJP has no role in US polls. Chauthaiwale stressed that India and USA have "deep strategic relations" which has bipartisan support in the US and overwhelming public support in India.
This comes after a video of Modi and Trump was being circulated heavily among Indian-Americans. The video has visuals of Modi, Trump and Melania Trump waving at the crowd in Ahmedabad during the US President’s India visit in February.
Since Trump took office, Washington’s relations with New Delhi have strengthened multi-fold. Even at a personal level, the relationship between Modi and Trump has grown, in the words of India’s foreign ministry, one of “friendship,” and “mutual esteem.” Donald Trump and Narendra Modi share an affinity for divisive politics.
On September 5, US President Donald Trump dragged India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi into a possible minefield of US politics by asserting that India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi give him “great support” in the context of the US elections where foreign involvement is a sore point.
“We have great support from India, we have great support from Prime Minister Modi, and I would think that the people, the Indian people would be voting for Trump,” he said on Friday when asked about the Indian American vote, reported IANS.
Trump even took bits of BJP's Hinduvta ideology to please Hindu voters in US. In 2016, Trump’s campaign made special efforts to reach out to Hindu voters. Communal and religious appeals are legal in the US and both parties resort to them, although it was the first time a presidential candidate campaigned for Hindu votes. Trump addressed a rally organised by the Republican Hindu Coalition and his son Eric visited a Hindu temple in Florida.
