'Should be deported': Vivek Ramaswamy's anniversary post faces racist backlash

A heartwarming anniversary post for his wife by Indian-origin Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy was bombarded with racist and anti-immigrant comments by X users over his views on the H-1B programme. Both Ramaswamy, who had put his hat in the ring for the US presidential polls but withdrew from the race, and his wife Dr Apoorva have their roots in India.

The backlash came as Ramaswamy, in a lengthy anniversary post, recalled how he met his wife at a college party. The couple, who have been married for 10 years, are parents to two children - Karthik and Arjun.

"In the fall of 2011, I met a brilliant medical student named Apoorva and asked her out on a first date - to head west for a weekend and hike Flattop Mountain in the Rockies. She accepted. We got within striking distance of the summit when a blizzard hit," Ramaswamy, whose parents migrated to the US from Kerala, said.

"I was foolishly stubborn about still making it, when she grabbed my hand, looked me in the eye, and said we had a lifetime ahead to come back and finish it. 14 years and two kids later, we finally made it back to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary this weekend. Grateful for the love of my life and every day of our journey together," Ramaswamy, who is running to be the governor of Ohio, said.

With the post, Ramaswamy shared two pictures of the couple, one present and the other of 2014, during their hike at the Rockies.

'GO BACK TO INDIA'

However, the biotech entrepreneur and Donald Trump loyalist was viciously trolled by social media users due to his Indian roots. Several users commented on his post with the caption, "Go back to India".

Another comment said, "When is your dad getting deported?" A third user tweeted, "The beauty of the whiteness destroyed by brown". "We would rather you go back to India and explore the hiking trails there," another top post read.

The backlash stems from Ramaswamy's changing views on H-1B immigrant visas, most of which is cornered by Indian nationals. While the Republican leader has previously batted for more foreign workers in US companies, he has since voiced his opposition to the H-1B program, stating that it required major reforms.

However, social media users, latching on to his previous remarks, have alleged that Ramaswamy would favour H-1B hiring if he were to become Ohio governor, based on the perception that "Indians hire Indians".