Indian tech hub names road for Trump, draws flak from PM Modi’s party

A key road named after US President Donald Trump in India’s opposition-ruled tech hub of Hyderabad has drawn criticism from ‌Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party, which dismissed the move as “hypocrisy”.

US-India ties have deteriorated during Trump’s second term, with Washington imposing high tariffs on Indian goods, punishing New Delhi for purchasing Russian oil, and engaging closely with India’s arch-rival Pakistan.

The road in the capital of the southern state of Telangana, ruled by ⁠the main opposition Congress party, adjoins the US consulate and is near the offices ‌of major American tech companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon.

The road received its new name, Donald Trump Avenue, on Tuesday, at a ‌time when Congress has been accusing Modi of being “compromised” by not ⁠taking on Trump ⁠on issues from the tariffs to US attacks on Indian-crewed tankers during the Iran war.

“Rahul Gandhi says ‌President Trump (is) hurting Indian interests,” Shehzad Poonawalla, a spokesperson of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, said on X on Wednesday, ‌referring ‌to the top Congress leader.

“Then why is his government in Telangana giving the ‌ultimate tribute to him by renaming a road after him?”