Bangladesh, Jan. 7 -- US President Donald Trump has once again stirred controversy in India by making a claim that New Delhi says is factually incorrect, politically loaded, and diplomatically awkward. Speaking at the House GOP Member Retreat on January 7, Trump alleged that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally sought his intervention to speed up the delivery of dozens of Apache attack helicopters ordered from the United States. The statement, delivered in Trumps trademark improvisational style, quickly ignited criticism across Indias political spectrum and prompted media outlets to scrutinize the accuracy of the claim.

Trump asserted that India had ordered 68 Apache helicopters and had been waiting for five years for delivery....