A leader of the opposition Congress party has urged India "to take note" over Washington's Twitter unfollowing. The incident has sparked a nationwide debate about a possible end to the Trump-Modi "bromance."
Image: AFP/P. Singh
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Indian politician and former President of the Indian National Congress Rahul Gandhi tweeted that he is "dismayed" by the unfollowing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind on Twitter.
Gandhi, who hails from the Nehru-Gandhi family — a prominent line of Indian politicians traditionally revolving around the Congress party — also said he urges the Ministry of External Affairs "to take note" over the incident.
The White House has "unfollowed all Indian handles" including that of Modi's office and the Indian embassy in the US, Indian broadcaster NDTV reported.
The broadcaster said that the White House, under the administration of US President Donald Trump, had started following Modi on April 10, nearly two months after Trump's first state visit to India at the end of February.
According to NDTV, Modi became the only world leader followed by the official Twitter handle of the US Administration, adding that the White House followed some 19 Twitter handles at the time and all non-US accounts were Indian.
Trump's two-day visit to India in February had signified the growing strength of the bilateral relationship between Washington and New Delhi amid China's growing influence in the South Asian region.
"India will always hold a very special place in our hearts," Trump had said to roaring crowds at the Motera cricket stadium in Ahmedabad city — Modi's home state of Gujarat — during his visit.
He also had words of praise for Mr Modi: "Everybody loves him but I will tell you this, he is very tough. You are not just the pride of Gujarat, you are living proof that with hard work, Indians can accomplish anything they want."
Trump concluded his speech by saying: "God bless India, God bless the United States of America - we love you, we love you very much."
End of 'bromance'?
However, the White House Twitter incident has left some Indian politicians feeling skeptical.
Among them, Gaurav Pandhi, a member of the Congress party's social media unit, asked in several posts: "Why has White House unfollowed Prime Minister and President of India on Twitter."
In pictures: Trump visits Modi in India
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed US President Donald Trump on his first visit to India. The whirlwind trip intended to strengthen ties and jumpstart business deals, was overshadowed by protests and violence.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/M. Ngan
Modi meets Trump in his home state
After a 17-hour journey, US President Donald Trump touched down in Ahmedabad, marking the start of his first visit to India as president. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the US leader and first lady Melania Trump to his home state of Gujarat. The visit is intended to jump-start ties between the world’s two biggest democracies, which have recently been strained under trade tensions.
Image: Reuters/A. Drago
Violence overshadows visit
Seven people were killed and at least 90 injured in violent riots on the sidelines of Trump's visit. India has experienced weeks of unrest since a controversial new citizenship law came into force in December. Critics say the law discriminates against Muslims. The latest violence erupted when hundreds of supporters and opponents of the law clashed in a Muslim-dominated area of Delhi on Sunday.
Image: picture-alliance/Xinhua News Agency/Str
Thousands of spectators gather at new stadium
The visit featured a mega-rally at the city's newly-built cricket stadium — billed as the biggest in the world with its capacity to hold 100,000 people. The 22-kilometer (14-mile) stretch is lined with huge billboards featuring Modi and the Trumps.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/M. Ngan
Trump's delegation
Trump's daughter Ivanka, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, and US National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien also attended the "Namaste Trump" event at Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium.
Image: Reuters/A. Drago
Left-party activists protest visit
Activists of left-wing parties gathered in the city of Guwahati, in the northeastern state of Assam, to protest Trump's visit to India. Assam has seen an outbreak of protests against the Modi government's controversial citizenship bill, which some say undermine India's secular traditions and excludes Muslim Indians.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/D. Dutta
India builds wall to hide slums
Trump's three-hour visit to Ahmedabad may cost civic authorities $13 million (€12 million), according to some estimates. This includes a wall built to hide one of the slums adjacent to the road expected to be used by Trump.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Solanki
Security measures tightened
ITC Maurya, the five-star hotel where Trump will be staying, has been turned into a fortress. Located in the city's secure Diplomatic Enclave, the hotel will not be accessible to the general public and all the 400+ rooms have been booked. Security teams from both the army and paramilitary forces will be patrolling the roads near the hotel and armed with snipers and sharp shooters.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Solanki
Trumps tour Taj Mahal
Trump and his wife visited the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. Ahead of their visit, the famous tombs at the iconic 17th century mausoleum were given a special clay pack treatment. The Yamuna river behind the Taj Mahal also received 17 million liters of water. On his way into the UNESCO world heritage site, Trump told reporters that it was an "incredible place."
