BJP, Congress join to dismiss Donald Trump's 'messages' on Afghanistan

New Delhi,Jan 4 The decision and opposition parties in India censured US President Donald Trump's comments this week mocking New Delhi's role in war-torn Afghanistan, where the South Asian nation has put billions of dollars in economic projects and military training.

The United States and India have moved nearer as of late as they look for approaches to offset China's spreading influence across Asia.

However, Trump's apparent bid to undermine India's formative work in Afghanistan has irritated legislators as well as many ordinary Indians.

Trump said on Wednesday he got along very well with Prime Minister Narendra Modi however that PM Modi was "continually telling me he built a library in Afghanistan".

"You know what that is? That like five hours of what we spend," Trump told columnists at the White House. "Also, we should state, 'goodness, thank you for the library'. I don't realize who is using it in Afghanistan."

It was not immediately clear which library Trump was alluding to, yet Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and in addition the Congress were joined in their analysis of the US president.

India has hundreds of years old ties with Afghanistan and both accuse common neighbour Pakistan for not doing what's necessary to stop Islamist militants operating on their territory. Pakistan denies the charges.

"May be Trump should know that while he is decrying each other help in Afghanistan, India has been building libraries, as well as streets, dams, schools and even parliament building," Ram Madhav, BJP general secretary, said on Twitter. "We are building lives, for which the Afghan individuals express gratitude toward us, regardless of what others do or don't."

Congress said India did not "require sermons from the US on Afghanistan".

The United States has 14,000 troops in Afghanistan, with reports it might be set to pull back more than 5,000, a sign Trump's understanding is diminishing with America's longest war. Trump has effectively chosen to pull all U.S. troops out of Syria.

PM Modi's office did not react to an email looking for input. Reuters couldn't achieve the White House outside normal business hours in the United States.

India is the greatest South Asian contributor to Afghanistan, spending around $2 billion on reconstruction and rehabilitation, as indicated by the Indian government office in Kabul. In the course of recent years India has helped Afghanistan manufacture streets, erect power transmission lines and develop a parliament building.

Kabul has not yet reacted to Trump's remarks.

Afghanistan's national security advisor, Hamdullah Mohib, is meeting his Indian partner Ajit Doval and other officials in New Delhi on Friday.

"Trump mocked India, a key US non-NATO partner that is done major development work in Afghanistan, for building a library there," Michael Kugelman, South Asia senior partner at the Washington-based Wilson Centre think-tank, said on Twitter. "Sigh."