India aa ke dekho: Iran slams Trump's hellhole remark, shares breathtaking video

Iran’s diplomatic missions in India escalated the response to Donald Trump after he endorsed remarks describing India as a “hell-hole on the planet”, with sharp cultural pushback on social media.

The Iranian Consulate in Mumbai posted on X, suggesting a “cultural detox” for Trump. “Maybe someone should book a one-way cultural detox for Mr Trump. It might just reduce the random bakwaas (nonsense). Come visit India and see it yourself, then speak,” the post said.

The Iranian Consulate in Hyderabad amplified the message by reposting Mumbai’s tweet and highlighting India’s cultural richness. It shared a post praising everyday experiences in Mumbai, mentioning “tea with bun maska, vada pav, and pav bhaji that could fix a bad day in three bites.” It added, “I believe in ‘roti and respect’, but stepping into South India is a whole different league; it feels like India unlocked its ‘heaven mode’. Trust me, it is even more beautiful.”

India also reacted strongly to the controversy. The government lashed out at Trump for endorsing the remarks, calling them “uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste,” and said they do not reflect the true nature of bilateral ties.

Responding to media queries, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi had taken note of both the original comments and a subsequent clarification issued by the US Embassy.

“We have seen the comments, as also the subsequent statement issued by the US Embassy in response. The remarks are obviously uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste. They certainly do not reflect the reality of the India-US relationship, which has long been based on mutual respect and shared interests,” Jaiswal said.

The controversy erupted after Trump reposted content on Truth Social from conservative radio host Michael Savage. The remarks described countries, including India and China, as among “hell-holes on the planet” while criticising birthright citizenship in the United States.

On his Savage Nation podcast, Savage argued against the Citizenship Clause, which grants citizenship to most children born on US soil, including those whose parents are undocumented or temporarily residing in the country. He claimed the policy is misused by immigrants from countries such as India and China.

In comments shared by Trump, Savage said a child born in the US becomes an “instant citizen” and later enables family members from countries including India and China to immigrate.

“A baby here becomes an instant citizen, and then they bring in their entire family from China, or India or some other hell-hole on the planet,” the letter stated.

Trump reposted both a transcript and a video clip from the podcast, in which Savage criticised the role of the US Supreme Court in shaping birthright citizenship law and called for the issue to be decided through a national referendum.

The accompanying letter went further, describing Indian and Chinese immigrants as “gangsters with laptops” who have “stepped on our flag”.

Earlier in the day, India had signalled its displeasure without directly criticising Trump. Jaiswal said, “We’ve seen some reports. That’s where I’ll leave it.”

Hours after Trump’s repost, the US Embassy issued a clarification and sought to underline ties with New Delhi. “The President has said ‘India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top’,” an embassy spokesperson said.

Trump highlighted Savage’s remarks as he continues a legal battle over birthright citizenship. His administration is challenging lower court rulings that blocked an executive order aimed at limiting automatic citizenship for some US-born children.

The order, signed shortly after Trump returned to office in January 2025, targeted children born to parents living in the US illegally or temporarily. It triggered multiple legal challenges, with several courts blocking its implementation and at least one judge calling it unconstitutional.