Indian media outlets are criticizing President Barack Obama for chewing nicotine gum during his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (RELATED: India Cracks Down On Greenpeace For Harming Its ‘Economic Security’)
In what The Times of India called “an ungainly sight,” Obama popped the gum out of his mouth to talk to Modi during a Monday morning parade, only to pop it back in his mouth a second later. News cameras and photographers captured the moment, which spread quickly on Twitter.
Barack bhai working his jaws overtime and chewing gum! At least it isn’t gutka. But seriously – gum during a formal parade?
— Shobhaa De (@DeShobhaa) January 26, 2015
After Beijing, President Obama spotted chewing gum at R-Day celebration too http://t.co/4Bm0r1RqRj #RepublicDay
— Oneindia.com (@Oneindia) January 26, 2015
I just saw Obama taking out chewing gum with hand from mouth and puting back inside mouth again.. Yuck #RepublicDay
— Kuldeep Bhatt (@TeslaJi) January 26, 2015
This is not the first time Obama’s habit has drawn the ire of an Asian country’s media and Twitter denizens. Chinese media and Internet users harshly criticized Obama’s gum-chewing at formal events during his most recent visit to the country.