At Sabarmati, Trump skips Gandhi but lauds 'great friend' Modi
It was the miss of the day - US President Donald Trump failed to mention Mahatma Gandhi in the message he jotted down on the visitor's notebook at Sabarmati Ashram on Monday.
It was the miss of the day — US President Donald Trump failed to mention Mahatma Gandhi in the message he jotted down on the visitor’s notebook at Sabarmati Ashram on Monday (February 24).
The Congress party took to Twitter to point out what the POTUS missed.
In the book, Trump wrote, “To my great friend Prime Minister Modi. Thank you for this wonderful visit.”
Trump, who reached Ahmedabad on Monday for the first leg of his India tour, visited the Ashram along with his wife, Melania, minutes after he landed here.
He later visited the Taj Mahal in Agra with his wife, and wrote in the visitor’s book there, “The Taj Mahal inspires awe. A timeless testament to the rich and diverse beauty of Indian culture! Thank you, India.”
After noticing no mention of Mahatma Gandhi in the message by Trump, netizens took to Twitter, comparing his note with that of former US President Barack Obama.
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When Obama visited the Mani Bhavan — where Gandhi used to stay for a while in Mumbai — in south Mumbai in 2010, his note in the visitor’s book read: “I am filled with hope and inspiration as I have the privilege to view this testament to Gandhi’s life. He is a hero not just to India but to the world.”
Five years later, in January 2015, after visiting the Raj Ghat in Delhi, Obama wrote, “What Dr Martin Luther King Jr said then remains true today. The spirit of Gandhi is very much alive in India today. And it remains a great gift to the world. May we always live in the spirit of love and peace – among all people and nations.”
Congress leader Manish Tewari posted an image of Trump’s remarks in the Ashram visitors’ book, saying, “This is a snapshot of the note that someone sent. It ostensibly is @realDonaldTrump’s note at Sabarmati. No mention of the Great Mahatma. Does he even know who Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was?”
This is a snapshot of the note that someone sent. It ostensibly is @realDonaldTrump ‘s note at Sabarmati. No mention of the Great Mahatma. Does he even know who Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was ? pic.twitter.com/mY0PfXoWW6
— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) February 24, 2020
“And this is what @barackobama had to say about the Great Mahatma possibly at Rajghat or Sabarmati. The distinction cannot be more stark,” the former Union minister said, posting an image of Obama’s remarks.
And this is what @barackobama had to say about the Great Mahatma possibly at Rajghat or Sabarmati. The distinction can not be more stark. pic.twitter.com/5cwirQwj3R
— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) February 24, 2020
Tapas Dey, former Tripura MLA, tweeted, “No mention of Bapu Mahatma Gandhi Ji in the visitor’s book of Sabarmati Ashram, instead Mr. President @realDonaldTrump express his love to @narendramodi.”
No mention of Bapu Mahatma Gandhi Ji in the visitor's book of Sabarmati Ashram, instead Mr. President @realDonaldTrump express his love to @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/phfejJXBl4
— Tapas Dey (@TapasDeyINC) February 24, 2020
Another Twitter user Martin Joseph tweeted about Trump’s handwriting. “President Trump’s comments in the visitor book of Sabarmati Ashram. The letters must be either in uppercase or lowercase but he used randomly mixed capitalization in writing. Its known StudlyCaps. He must repeat his High school Grammar classes.”
#NamasteTrump Hand writing of Trump
President Trump’s comments in the visitor book of Sabarmati Ashram. The letters must be either in uppercase or lowercase but he used randomly mixed capitalization in writing. Its known StudlyCaps.He must repeat his High school Grammar classes pic.twitter.com/PkW6Z6SOjF— Martin Joseph (@martinjmsw1) February 24, 2020
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, “Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth. Messrs Modi and Trump doing their best to prove Einstein right in a way he didn’t intend – by erasing the Mahatma from his abode!”
“Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.” Messrs Modi and Trump doing their best to prove Einstein right in a way he didn’t intend — by erasing the Mahatma from his abode! https://t.co/FFP46ox9Ba
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 24, 2020
Meanwhile, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who had earlier agreed to attend the banquet organised for Trump on Tuesday (February 25), cancelled later saying he wouldn’t be able to make it.
Prominent Congress leaders, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, have been excluded from the event.
