Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s remarks “The people of India deeply love you” for US President George W Bush while praising him following their 40-minute meeting at the Oval Office in the White House on September 25, 2008, created a flutter in the nation.
Expressing about the Civil Nuclear Deal initiated between both countries in 2005 in a news conference by PM Singh and President Bush, the latter admitted the initiatives taken from both sides and the boldness exhibited on Singh’s part. Bush admitted that both the countries, the US and India shared a strong relationship at the state level and appreciated Singh at the personal level. Singh also acknowledged Bush’s historic role in bringing the two nations together.
Singh at various points during the interview credited Bush to have played an important role in the termination of the restrictive rule that restricted India to trade in nuclear material, nuclear reactors, and nuclear raw materials.
Singh praised him and remarked that the people of India loved him for all that he had done for both the countries. This was responded by Bush by appreciating Singh for his friendship and his leadership.
Bush further praised Singh for the iconic economic liberalization process initiated under his tenure as the Finance Minister of India which has been called as one of the two important events that led to transformation in the Indo-US ties.
The remark “the People of India love you” sparked significant motion in the nation with CPI, CPI-M, and BJP criticizing this move. CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat said that Singh was in love with President Bush but questioned the inclusion of the people of India in between.
D Raja, the then CPI national secretary asserted that during a time when Bush’s rating was low in his own country, the Indian PM to say such a thing did not bode well. This view was supported by BJP’s spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad who stated that the personal admiration of Singh could not become India’s admiration.
Veerappa Moily, the then Congress media cell chairperson defended Singh’s remarks by calling it as an expression of India’s tolerant and accommodating attitude.
