Dropping hints that the United States will maintain a strict stance on India if it does not release the hydroxychloroquine, US President Donald Trump remarked: “I spoke to him (PM Modi), Sunday morning and I said we appreciate it that you are allowing our supply (of Hydroxychloroquine) to come out, if he doesn't allow it to come out, that would be okay, but of course, there may be retaliation, why wouldn't there be?”, as per media reports.

Trump’s comments came days after India denied the supply of hydroxychloroquine, a drug seen as the key to cure coronavirus.

India had earlier banned the drug’s export “without any exceptions,” India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade had said in an April 4 order on its website.

After getting to know of India’s decision, Trump had called Modi on April 4 and asked him to allow the export of hydroxychloroquine to the US to use it against the coronavirus epidemic.

Modi had tweeted after the call that they "agreed to deploy the full strength of the India-US partnership to fight Covid-19".

On April 6, India decided to allow the supply of hydroxychloroquine on a “case-by-case” basis. It also allowed the export of paracetamol, a popular antipyretic, as well as some more drugs.

Trump is promoting the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment and preventive for Covid-19. The medicine is used to treat malaria and lupus and trials are underway in New York to test its efficacy against coronavirus.

The US is witnessing the peak of the pandemic and is believed to be the next hotspot of the Covid-19 outbreak. The number of cases in the US has surpassed three lakh mark and with over 10,000 died due to the deadly virus.

Donald Trump had warned America to brace for a “very, very painful two weeks” as the White House projected that the coronavirus pandemic could claim 100,000 to 240,000 lives, even if current social distancing guidelines are maintained, the Guardian reported.

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