New Delhi, Sep 3: Opposition leaders on Thursday took a swipe at the Narendra Modi government over a light-hearted remark by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Union minister Piyush Goyal and said the BJP leader had been "relegated" to being the private secretary to the American envoy.
Speaking at the annual session of Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) here on Wednesday, Gor said that if people cannot get a hold of him, they can "reach out" to Union minister Goyal.
Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera took a swipe at the government and asked whether the state of the Indian economy was so dire that even Union minister Goyal has had to take up a "side hustle" as the US Ambassador's secretary.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra said it was "shameful" that the minister of commerce has been relegated to being the "private secretary fixing appointments for the US Ambassador to India".
Speaking at the event, Gor referred to Goyal as a "dear friend of mine".
"Since I have arrived in New Delhi, nobody plays favourites, but I have two favourite ministers, I must admit here -- one is (External Affairs Minister) Dr (S) Jaishankar and the second one is my dear friend Piyush Goyal. You have somebody who cares deeply about the relationship between the US and India.
"But beyond that Piyush and his wife have truly become dear friends," Gor said, adding, "A lot of you here have asked me as I was walking in about different items relating to the US Embassy. If you can't get a hold of me, reach out to Piyush and he will arrange it," the US envoy went on to add.
Later, Goyal responded to the light-hearted remarks by Gor.
The minister said, "I'm worried to call you a friend. If you make this comment on more occasions, I'll have half of them at my office looking for visa appointments for the US. But I know that they (the US Embassy) do not break the queue, so please don't try that."
Several people, including opposition leaders, took a swipe at the Modi government over Gor's remarks.
Khera said, "Is the state of the Indian economy so dire that even Union Minister Piyush Goyal has had to take up a side hustle as the US Ambassador's secretary?"
"From Vishwaguru to visa-office receptionist -- what a fall," Khera said on X.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra also tagged a post carrying the video clip of Gor's remarks and said, "Shameful that India's Minister of Commerce Piyush Goyal (had) been relegated to private secretary fixing appointments for the US Ambassador to India."
