No, PM Modi didn’t really try to interfere in US elections, here is why he said “Abki baar Trump sarkar”

Prime Minister Modi with US President Donald Trump at 'Howdy, Modi!' event on September 22, 2019

At the mega event held in Houston, Texas last night Prime Minister Modi reminded the audience as to how during the 2016 US Presidential campaigning, Donald Trump had said ‘Abki Baar Trump Sarkar’ while appealing to the voters from the Indian diaspora in the US.

https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1175824381358026753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
PM Modi said, “We in India have connected well with President Trump, the words of candidate Trump, ‘Abki baar Trump sarkar’, rang loud and clear.” In October 2016, during the US Presidential campaigning, the then Presidential candidate Trump had said that the Indian and Hindu community in the US will have a ‘friend’ in the White House. Then, using Prime Minister Modi’s 2014 popular election slogan “Abki baar, Modi Sarkar”, Donald Trump had said, “Abki baar, Trump Sarkar” (This time, it will be a Trump government).

Last night, while addressing the Indian diaspora in the US, Prime Minister Modi had recalled the above campaign slogan by Trump.

However, Congress leaders and other media houses scrambled together to spread lies that PM Modi endorsed President Trump for the 2020 US Presidential elections.

Congress MP Anand Sharma’s tweets

Congress MP Anand Sharma took to Twitter last night to accuse the Prime Minister of ‘actively campaigning for Trump’ and reminded him that he was in the US as India’s Prime Minister and not a ‘star campaigner in the US elections.’

Malini Parthasarathy, The Hindu co-chairperson, also dubbed this as ‘virtual endorsement’ of Donald Trump for reelections.

https://twitter.com/MaliniP/status/1175822761526087685?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Sagarika Ghose, too, joined the bandwagon in spreading the lie.

https://twitter.com/sagarikaghose/status/1175977622532026368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Amusingly, the article Sagarika has shared clearly states that PM Modi was using the 2016 election slogan. She even misinterprets ‘Abki baar Trump Sarkar’ (This time, Trump government) to ‘This time it is Trump again’.

Bloomberg, too, misinterpreted and misrepresented the slogan used by Modi as endorsement for Trump for 2020.

Bloomberg states Modi endorses Trump ahead of 2020

Others also exposed their own ignorance by saying that it was PM Modi who coined the ‘Ab ki baar Trump Sarkar’ slogan.

https://twitter.com/IamUmer1/status/1175839769907093504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Aam Aadmi Party’s Arvind Jha also dubbed it as ‘interference in American elections’.

https://twitter.com/jalajboy/status/1175827242640793601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Prime Minister Modi addressed the Indian diaspora in Houston, Texas last night and was joined by US President Donald Trump. Over 50,000 people attended the mega event last night which was the largest ever event addressed by an Indian Prime Minister in North America. It was also the largest for a foreign leader in the US other than Pope Francis.

OpIndia Staff: Staff reporter at OpIndia