Congress prez Kharge asks PM Modi to raise tariff, deportation issues with Trump
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that even as these pressing bilateral issues take centre stage, all Indians recognise the valuable comprehensive global strategic partnership with the US
New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address two pressing issues—tariffs and the treatment of Indian immigrants—during his meeting with US President Donald Trump.
Kharge highlighted the US administration’s imposition of a 25% tariff on steel and aluminium imports, emphasising that such measures have “serious repercussions for India’s manufacturing.”
“A 25% tariff on aluminium and steel imports with ‘no exemptions, no exceptions’ for any country, has serious repercussions for India’s manufacturing. We must build closer trade ties for both countries with mutually beneficial framework, given that the US is one of our biggest trading partners,” Kharge wrote on X.
On Monday, President Trump substantially increased the import tariff on steel and aluminium by 25% “without exceptions or exemptions.” “President Trump is taking action to end unfair trade practices and the global dumping of steel and aluminium,” the White House said in a press note.
The decision prompted strong global reactions. The European Union has vowed to implement countermeasures whereas Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau labelled the tariffs as “entirely unjustifiable” and vowed a firm response.
Kharge also said that the “traumatic deportation” of Indian immigrants from the US, where individuals were “handcuffed, legs chained,” has “naturally raised strong concerns among all Indians.”
“PM Modi must stress that any Indian national must not be humiliated and must be treated with utmost dignity,” he said.
More than 100 Indian migrants deported by the US arrived in Amritsar, Punjab, as part of a deportation ordered by the Trump administration. India has cooperated with the US in accepting its citizens after verifying their nationality. The US has also issued final removal orders to 487 individuals presumed to be Indian citizens. A report by the Pew Research Center noted that by 2022, India had 7,25,000 unauthorised immigrants in the US, the third-highest after Mexico and El Salvador.
“Even as these pressing bilateral issues take centre stage, all Indians recognise the valuable comprehensive global strategic partnership with the United States. We must do more to strengthen each other and further cement the relationship between both the democracies in the interest of our people,” Kharge concluded. .