‘A matter of satisfaction and happiness’: Delhi LG and former envoy Taranjit Sandhu on Trump’s congratulatory message. india news
New Delhi: India’s former ambassador to the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Saturday expressed “great satisfaction and pleasure” after US President Donald Trump congratulated him on his appointment as Delhi’s ambassador. Lieutenant Governor and praised his “deep commitment” to strengthening bilateral relations.Read this also ‘Experienced diplomat’: Trump congratulates former US envoy Taranjit Sandhu on appointment as Delhi LGSandhu was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Delhi in March. He served as India’s envoy to Washington from February 2020 to March 2024. After retirement, he contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Amritsar constituency on the ticket of the ruling BJP, but lost.“The relationship between the United States and India is in the national interest of both countries. The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi)’s thinking is very clear – he has underlined it many times. I was just doing my job. It is certainly a matter of satisfaction and pleasure that President Trump acknowledged this in his post,” the former diplomat told reporters when asked about Trump’s Truth Social message.“But I would also like to point out that President Biden has also talked about good work. Under the guidance of the Prime Minister, we were able to transform the relationship into a partnership,” he said.Trump was the US president when Sandhu was appointed India’s ambassador to Washington, but he lost the November 2020 election to Joe Biden. The Republican returned to the White House after defeating then-Vice President Kamala Harris in November 2024 following Biden’s decision not to seek a second term.On Friday, Trump posted on Truth Social, “Congratulations to Taranjit Sandhu on becoming the new Lieutenant Governor of Delhi! As a seasoned diplomat and former Ambassador to the United States, he has always shown a deep commitment to strengthening the US-India relationship. I wish him every success in leading Delhi’s progress and advancing global engagement!”Sandhu was succeeded by Vinay Mohan Kwatra, the current envoy to Washington. In Delhi, he took over from Vinay Kumar Saxena, who was appointed the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh.