India, April 25 -- In the unlikely event of this editorial calling US President Donald Trump deranged, or perhaps something far worse, would Prime Minister Narendra Modi share it on his social media handles? And how would the US establishment view such a move? As a slight? An insult? Perhaps, given how trigger-happy the US is, an act of war? All those questions may be in the realm of the hypothetical, but they need to be asked. They need to be asked because the US President had no problems sharing the transcript of a conservative talk show that referred to India as a hellhole. They need to be asked because this appears to be becoming a habit. And they need to be asked because the US embassy in India, always keen to express how much Trump likes India and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, did not believe this warranted a direct explanation. An embassy spokesperson repeated the "great country" and "good friend of mine at the top" line in response, without clarifying the hellhole-bit. This is not the first time someone in the Trump White House has said something insulting about India; nor is it the first time an explanation (an apology may be too much to expect) hasn't followed. It is almost as if the current US administration believes it is acceptable to do this because the President and his people also sometimes say nice (albeit patronising) things about India. Almost everyone who matters in the US administration has, in the past year, said something not-so-nice about India. Most of the comments have little to do with a fundamental disagreement on policy; they are simply what they appear to be, gratuitous insults. There are two reasons why India should not take this lying down. One, if the thinking in Washington is that Trump can say anything and get away with it, because, well, he's Trump, the leader of the most powerful economy and the commander-in-chief of the most powerful military in the world, then what's to stop him from saying and doing something far worse? Where exactly does India draw the line? And how exactly does it communicate that there is a line to the US? Two, if the thinking in Delhi is that these comments should not be taken seriously because the US President doesn't mean it, then what's the guarantee that he is sincere when he says India is "great" and that the Prime Minister is his "good friend"? Finally, as far as the latest instance is concerned, while a repost isn't an endorsement, good friends do not usually amplify critical posts about each other....