Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday criticised the United States’ decision to impose a 50% tariff on Indian goods, calling it “economic blackmail” and a direct consequence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s focus on image-building rather than serious diplomacy.
Take a look at Siddaramaiah's post
In a post on social media platform X, Siddaramaiah backed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s sharp attack on the Modi government’s foreign policy. “Rahul Gandhi raised timely alarms on multiple national issues, from GST to demonetisation and COVID mishandling. His warnings were dismissed, but time has proven him right. Now, he's been proven right yet again on the Trump tariff issue,” Siddaramaiah wrote.
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{{/usCountry}}Referring to the former US President’s tariff hike and additional penalties over India’s Russian oil imports, the Congress veteran said the developments were not mere trade measures but a strategic failure by the Modi government. He echoed Gandhi’s criticism of the move as a pressure tactic aimed at coercing India into an unfair trade agreement.
“Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 50% tariff on Indian products is not diplomacy, it’s blackmail. And it’s the result of PM Modi’s obsession with headline management instead of defending national interests,” Siddaramaiah said.
He further alleged that since 2019, the prime minister had gone out of his way to appease Trump, referencing Modi’s campaign-style slogan "Abki Baar Trump Sarkar" during the ‘Howdy Modi’ event in the US and the grand welcome at the ‘Namaste Trump’ rally in India, held just as the COVID-19 pandemic was surfacing.
“Modi tried to create a personal equation, even coining terms like MIGA (Make India Great Again), in line with Trump’s MAGA pitch. But Trump viewed these moves not as diplomacy, but as weakness,” Siddaramaiah said.
He went on to highlight Trump’s actions that undermined India, including repeated claims of mediating peace between India and Pakistan, cozying up to the Pakistani military leadership, and remaining indifferent to issues that directly affected India’s security and dignity.
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“While Trump undermined India internationally, Modi chose silence to remain in Washington’s favour. There was no protest, no resistance, just submission,” the CM alleged.
Siddaramaiah also criticised Modi’s outreach to Elon Musk, suggesting that it was part of the same flawed strategy, especially given Musk’s alignment with Trump.
Calling on the Prime Minister to “grow up and act in India’s interest,” Siddaramaiah accused the BJP government of ignoring early warnings and putting India’s economic and diplomatic strength at risk.