Washington: Bernie Sanders, the front-runner for the Democratic US presidential nomination on Tuesday said instead of selling weapons to India, United States should partner on the issue of climate change to create renewable energy and cut air pollution.
"Instead of selling USD 3 billion in weapons to enrich Raytheon, Boeing and Lockheed, the United States should be partnering with India to fight climate change. We can work together to cut air pollution, create good renewable energy jobs, and save our planet," Sanders posted on Twitter.
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Instead of selling $3 billion in weapons to enrich Raytheon, Boeing and Lockheed, the United States should be partnering with India to fight climate change.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) February 24, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
We can work together to cut air pollution, create good renewable energy jobs, and save our planet. https://t.co/nqKS2CWypT
">Instead of selling $3 billion in weapons to enrich Raytheon, Boeing and Lockheed, the United States should be partnering with India to fight climate change.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) February 24, 2020
We can work together to cut air pollution, create good renewable energy jobs, and save our planet. https://t.co/nqKS2CWypTInstead of selling $3 billion in weapons to enrich Raytheon, Boeing and Lockheed, the United States should be partnering with India to fight climate change.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) February 24, 2020
We can work together to cut air pollution, create good renewable energy jobs, and save our planet. https://t.co/nqKS2CWypT
His tweet comes at a time when US President Donald Trump is on his maiden official trip to India where he is expected to sign agreements.
On Monday, addressing a huge gathering at the Motera stadium in Ahmedabad, Trump said that the US will sign deals to sell over USD 3 billion of absolute finest, state-of-the-art military helicopters and other equipment to the Indian armed forces.
Reportedly, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Wednesday gave its nod to the acquisition of 24 US-made MH-60 Romeo multi-role helicopters worth around USD 2.5 billion for the Indian Navy.
It was reported that India and the US would announce the MH-60 Romeo choppers and the six Apache attack helicopters for the Army during the visit of American President.
Read Also: The Indispensable Indo-US partnership
Meanwhile, in the run of the election year, Sanders, the Democratic presidential hopeful has been vociferous in criticising Trump's policies, particularly those done with strategic partners in defence sectors.
On several occasions, Sanders has also advocated cutting the US defence expenditure which he deems as preposterous.
"At a time when we have massive levels of income and wealth inequality; when half of our people are living paycheck to paycheck; when more than 500,000 Americans are homeless; and when public schools throughout the country are struggling to pay their teachers a livable salary, it is time to change our national priorities," Sander was quoted as saying by Washington Post in December 2019.
Sanders represents Vermont in the US Senate and has put forward an aggressive green New Deal plan to deal with climate change with a proposal to invest USD 16.3 trillion in renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean transportation, among other areas.
According to the Washington Post, Sanders wants to commit the country to achieve 100 percent renewable energy for electricity and transportation by 2030 and the total decarbonization of the economy by 2050.
Sanders opposes nuclear power and plans to shut down all of the nuclear power plants in the US within 10 years.
Read Also: India pours on pageantry with colorful welcome for Trump
(With inputs from ANI)