Cong leaders take swipe at PM over Trump's 'filthy air' remark

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Friday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "flaunting" his friendship with US President Donald Trump over his remark that 'India sent out filthy air".

Sibal said the jibe was the result of the Howdy Modi event held in Texas in 2019.

"Trump: Fruits of Friendship: Questions India's COVID death toll. Says India sends dirt up into the air India 'air is filthy'. Called India 'tariff king'. The result of 'Howdy Modi'," Sibal tweeted.

Another party leader, Anand Sharma, said, "President Donald Trump has insulted 'Namaste India' and exposed his lack of knowledge on climate change and the Paris Agreement." "A fact check would have told him that the US is the largest polluter historically and its per capita green-house gas emissions are six times India's 'filthy air'," the former External Affairs minister said.

Trump has accused China, India and Russia of not taking care of their "filthy air" as he justified America's withdrawal from the "unfair" Paris climate agreement.

Trump, a known climate change sceptic, wants to expand non-renewable energy. He aims to increase drilling for oil and gas, and roll back further environmental protection in America.

"Look at China, how filthy it is. Look at Russia. Look at India, it's filthy. The air is filthy," Trump said during the final presidential debate with his Democratic challenger Joe Biden in Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday night.