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Congress criticises Modi government over Trump’s tariff remarks
The Congress cited India’s assertive responses during the 1971 liberation war and the Pokhran-I and II nuclear tests as examples of strong leadership in international affairs
The Congress on Saturday accused the Prime Minister Naranedra Modi-led government of weakening India’s standing on the global stage after US President Donald Trump claimed that India had agreed to cut tariffs.
“Governments come and go, but messing around with the Prime Minister’s post is a crime that cannot go unpunished. Why will any global power take India seriously if we ourselves undermine the perception of our PM?” Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said at a press conference.
He cited India’s assertive responses during the 1971 liberation war and the Pokhran-I and II nuclear tests as examples of strong leadership in international affairs.
On Friday, President Trump alleged that India had imposed massive tariffs on American imports and had now agreed to reduce them. “India charges us massive tariffs. Massive. You can’t even sell anything in India. They have agreed, by the way; they want to cut their tariffs way down now because somebody is finally exposing them for what they have done,” he said during a White House press briefing.
His remarks coincided with Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal’s visit to Washington for trade negotiations with his US counterpart Howard Lutnick on a proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). The Indian government has yet to make an official statement regarding any tariff reductions.
The opposition has been demanding a firm response from New Delhi as Trump has repeatedly criticised India’s tariff policies. “India is a huge market with significant economic strength. Yet, we are surrendering to the US. The PM acts like a lion in India, roaring at us, but turns into a lion made of mud when he visits foreign countries and remains silent,” Khera said.
“Is it fair that the citizens of this country learn about India’s tariff decisions from Trump? It is the Prime Minister’s job to safeguard the economic interests of 150 crore Indians, not Trump’s,” he added. Khera further stated that Congress would support the government if it took a strong stance against Trump’s remarks.
Earlier, Lutnick claimed that India’s tariffs on American products are among the highest in the world and urged New Delhi to reconsider its policies, stressing the importance of the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) highlighted the potential benefits of the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with the US, stating that it could significantly boost trade between the two nations.
“The two governments are advancing discussions on a multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement. Through the BTA, our objective is to strengthen and deepen India-US two-way trade in goods and services, increase market access, reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers, and enhance supply chain integration between the two countries,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.
