India's Modi Faces Opposition Criticism For Sending Hydroxychloroquine To US, Trump Praises Him

U.S. ties with India in the post-pandemic world may have got a boost with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to allow the export of hydroxychloroquine in response to a request from President Donald Trump.

President Trump's tweet acknowledging the help in “extraordinary times” and his expression of gratitude to Modi for the gesture during Wednesday’s White House briefing were seen by some in Indian media as evidence of deepening ties between the two countries.

The coronavirus pandemic came on the scene when the relations between the two countries were under a cloud after Trump increased duties on some imports from India and threatened further sanctions over Delhi’s alleged trade protectionism and adverse balance of trade situation. The perceived bromance between the two leaders that saw two electrifying -- the ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston, Texas, in September last year and ‘Namaste Trump’ in Ahmedabad in the Indian state of Gujarat in February -- had not helped ease the tension between the two countries. But the pandemic seems to have dramatically changed the atmosphere.

Trump tweeted a big thank you to Modi for the decision to waive a ban on the export of the drug, of which India is the biggest producer, after the two had a telephonic conversation. Although banned in many developed countries for its side-effects, hydroxychloroquine is widely used in India and some other countries as an anti-malarial drug.

Trump said: “Extraordinary times require even closer cooperation between friends. Thank you India and the Indian people for the decision on HCQ. Will not be forgotten! Thank you Prime Minister @NarendraModi for your strong leadership in helping not just India, but humanity, in this fight!”

Trump also went on record during a daily White House press briefing Wednesday, saying: "I want to thank Prime Minister Modi of India for allowing us to have what we requested for the problem that arose and he was terrific. We will remember it." The Economic Times reported that Trump described Modi as “terrific," adding India's help in the extraordinary times "will not be forgotten".

India's opposition leader criticizes Modi

Modi tweeted Thursday acknowledging Trump’s gratitude. The message read: “Fully agree with you President @realDonaldTrump Times like these bring friends closer. The India-US partnership is stronger than ever. India shall do everything possible to help humanity's fight against COVID-19. We shall win this together.”

Modi’s followers have been unfazed by opposition criticism that the prime minister had buckled under pressure from Trump to remove the export ban on hydroxychloroquine. Main opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi said India must help all countries in their fight against coronavirus but lifesaving medicines should be made available to Indians first. “Friendship isn’t about retaliation. India must help all nations in their hour of need but lifesaving medicines should be made available to Indians in ample quantities first,” he said on Twitter. Gandhi was referring to Trump talking of “retaliation” in case India refused to lift the ban on the drug.

The removal of the ban will help some pharmaceutical companies in India to export millions of dollars worth of hydroxychloroquine to the U.S. Modi had banned the export of several drugs and medical gear needed in the country’s fight against the coronavirus that first appeared in China’s industrial town of Wuhan in December last year and developed into a global pandemic. More than 5,000 people tested positive for the virus in India, and 166 peopel have died as of Thursday. The U.S. is in a worse situation with nearly 434,800 infected and about 14,800 dead.

The prospect of closer ties between India and the U.S. helped the Indian markets rise Thursday despite the bad news about an increase in the coronavirus deaths in the country. The prospects of a second round of fiscal stimulus package was also seen as buoying the stocks. The 30-share Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex closed at 31,159 points, up 1,265.66 points or 4.23%. The 50-stock National Stock Exchange benchmark Nifty was up 363.15 points, or 4.15%, to close at 9,111 points.