Brief acrimony between Trump, Modi over

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 9

US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanged pleasantries over India’s permission to allow export of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and paracetamol to the US besides several other countries.

Both countries thus closed a brief period of divergence which began on April 4 when India banned the previously contracted shipments of HCQ for which the US companies had made full advance payments. Two days later, Trump said that though he expected Modi to allow HCQ exports to the US, there could be retaliation if New Delhi did otherwise.

That spell of acrimony ended when Trump put up an effusive and pleasant front by thanking Modi, India and the Indian people for the decision on HCQ. Modi responded by agreeing with Trump that “times like these bring friends closer.’’

“India’s supplies of medicines, especially HCQ and paracetamol to several countries, including the US, Israel, Gulf, neighbours, etc., confirm our role as first provider and help in global fight against Covid,’’ noted Sanjay Bhattacharya, Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.

India had even banned paracetamol on March 3 but cleared it for case-by-case exports on April 6, the day Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a conversation.