US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday reiterated that racist comments targeting Indians in the United States should not be viewed as representative of American society, stating that “people say stupid stuff all the time” on social media.
Rubio made the remarks while responding to questions during his visit to New Delhi, where he addressed concerns related to racism against Indians living in the United States.
Rubio says online comments may come from trolls or bots
Clarifying his earlier remarks made during a press conference on Sunday, Rubio said he believed the question referred primarily to online comments and social media activity.
“I assumed that he was talking about people posting stuff online. Some of those could be a troll, a bot,” Rubio said.
He added that offensive and insensitive comments are not unique to any one country and are unfortunately common across social media platforms worldwide.
“People say stupid stuff all the time on social media and in every country in the world, unfortunately,” he said.
US remains welcoming country, says Rubio
Rubio stressed that isolated racist comments made by individuals should not be treated as a reflection of the United States as a whole.
He described the US as a welcoming and immigrant-friendly country and said such remarks do not represent broader American values.
During a joint press conference with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday, Rubio had strongly defended the US against allegations of widespread racism and said the country continues to remain open to people from across the world.
He also said concerns related to discriminatory remarks are taken seriously by American authorities.
Rubio praises India-US relationship
The US Secretary of State also highlighted the strong ties between India and the United States during his interaction with the media.
Rubio said US President Donald Trump shares a close relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and holds India in high regard.
“The President loves India and is a big fan of Prime Minister Modi,” Rubio said.
He also referred to the appointment of US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor as a sign of the importance Washington places on its relationship with New Delhi.
Pakistan mediation role not discussed, says Rubio
Rubio was also asked whether India had raised concerns over Pakistan’s reported role as a mediator in the US-Iran situation.
Responding to the question, Rubio said the matter did not come up during discussions with Indian officials.
However, he acknowledged India’s longstanding concerns regarding cross-border terrorism originating from Pakistani territory.
“India is always pointing to the fact that there are armed terrorist groups operating from Pakistani territory that target India,” Rubio said.
At the same time, he noted that India’s concerns regarding Pakistan are separate from any role Islamabad may have played in facilitating communication related to Iran.
Rubio calls India key US strategic partner
Comparing his recent visits to India and China, Rubio described both countries as globally important but referred to India as a major democratic and strategic ally of the United States.
“India is the most populous country in the world. It’s a democracy. It’s a strong strategic ally of the United States,” Rubio said.
His remarks come amid ongoing efforts by both countries to strengthen strategic cooperation, trade relations and diplomatic engagement across multiple sectors.
(With inputs from Agencies)