Owaisi calls Trump 'illietrate' for Modi father of India

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday hit out at Donald Trump for hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as father of India, alleging the US president lacked knowledge about the country's great past and Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation.

Even late Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, giants of Indian politics, were not called father of nation, he told reporters here replying to questions on Modi's visit to US and Trump sharing stage with him at Houston.

"...the US president Mr Trump has called Mr Modi, father of the nation. He is 'jahil' (illiterate). He is ignorant. He does not know anything about Mahatma Gandhi. He has zero knowledge about India's great past, our freedom struggle, and when he calls him (Modi) father of nation," he charged.

Modi and Mahatma Gandhi cannot be compared, he said adding the latter earned the Father of the Nation title.

He, however, said he agreed with Trump on his comparision of Modi with Elvis Presley.

"Elvis Presley used to mesmerise people with his songs. Mr Modi also does that when he gives 'bhashan' (speech)... But, I don't want to demean my Prime Minister by saying he is like Elvis Presley," Owaisi said.

Trump had on Tuesday heaped praise on Modi, saying "I remember India before was very torn. There was a lot of dissension, fighting and he brought it all together. Like a father would. Maybe he is the father of India."