A day after United States President Donald Trump mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over India’s funding for a library in Afghanistan, government officials on Thursday said developmental help can play a critical role in “transforming human lives”, NDTV reported.

India’s role in Afghanistan is built on “specific needs and requirements worked out with the government of Afghanistan and is aimed at the welfare of the people of Afghanistan and for a tangible improvement in the lives of its people”, unidentified officials told NDTV.

Bharatiya Janata Party General Secretary Ram Madhav said India had been doing immense development work in Afghanistan, for which people there “thank us, no matter what others do or don’t”. “Maybe Trump should know that while he is decrying every other help in Afghanistan, India has been building not only libraries, but roads, dams, schools and even parliament building,” he tweeted.

On Wednesday, Trump had mocked India’s move to fund a library in Afghanistan, wondering “who would use a library” in the country. “You know I get along with India and the Prime Minister Modi, and he’s constantly telling me he built a library in Afghanistan,” Trump told reporters after his first Cabinet meeting of the year. “You know what that is? That’s like five hours of what we spend. And he tells it – and he’s very smart – and we’re supposed to say, ‘Oh, thank you for the library.’ I don’t know who’s using it in Afghanistan.”

It is unclear to which project Trump was referring. India has committed $3 billion in assistance to Afghanistan after US-led forces overthrew the Taliban regime following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Government officials said India may be building small libraries, but most Indian investments in Afghanistan were on mega infrastructure projects. India has also been supplying military equipment and providing training to Afghan security personnel, they said. “India seeks to build capacities and capabilities of Afghan nationals and its institutions for governance and delivery of public service, develop socio-economic infrastructure, secure lives and promote livelihood,” PTI quoted an unidentified official as saying.

Trump had also said he wanted regional countries, including India, Russia and Pakistan, to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan, PTI reported. “Why isn’t Russia there [in Afghanistan, fighting the Taliban]? Why isn’t India there? Why isn’t Pakistan there? Why are we [US] there?” Trump had said in response to a question.