Washington: US President Donald Trump described India’s air as “Filthy” during his second and final Presidential debate with Democratic rival Joe Biden, triggering a storm of reactions as many Indians expressed outrage even as the others called for action to tackle pollution and avoid International embarrassment.

Trump at the debate said look at China, how filthy it is. Look at Russia, look at India it’s filthy. The air is filthy; Trump’s remarks come days before US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark Esper visit New Delhi for talks on building the growing US- India partnership. The WHO’s air quality data base (2018) had found that the World’s seven most polluted cities in terms of annual PM- 2.5 levels were all in India, with Kanpur- 01 and Delhi – 05.

Let stop being squeamish about what @ realDonaldTrump has said about filth and filthy air in our country, let’s not once again shoot the messenger but instead work towards altering this message. And for the dolts, who are now commenting on Trump’s India visit qua this, grow up businessmen- actor Suhel Seth tweeted. Factchucker.in said in another tweet Trump isn’t wrong, considering 21 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities are in India. Another senior Congress politician gave Trump’s statement a larger political twist.

He said in a tweet, Trump: Fruits of Friendship 1) questions India’s Covid- 19 death toll, 2) says India sends dirt up into the Air India ‘Air is Filthy’, 3) called India ‘Tariff King’, the result of Howdy Modi. Howdy Modi was a mega event in the US which was attended by both Trump and Modi in September last year. Trump referred to India to defend his decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord, said one environmental expert.

Trump’s commentary on India’s air in the backdrop of his justification from withdrawing from the Paris pact is unfortunate and juvenile, said Vimalendu Jha, the founder of an activist group Swechha.