Congress leader Rahul Gandhi backed US President Donald Trump's "dead" Indian economy remark. At the same time, his party colleagues as well as the INDIA bloc allies felt otherwise.
After announcing the 25 per cent tariff and an unspecified penalty on New Delhi, Trump had said that India and Russia "can take their dead economies down together".
Rahul Gandhi was asked about the remark in the Parliament complex, to which he replied, "Yes, he is right. Everybody knows this except the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. Everybody knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy. I am glad that President Trump has stated a fact... The entire world knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy."
Rahul Gandhi's colleagues feel otherwise
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said that it is a "very serious matter" for India".
He said, "25, plus an unspecified penalty for our buying oil and gas from Russia, it could take it up to 35-45... There's even talk of a 100% penalty, which will destroy our trade with America... The trade negotiations are still going on, and there is a possibility that this may come down. If it doesn't, it will damage our exports, because America is a very big market for us."
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Tharoor further added that if America's demands are completely unreasonable, then India's negotiators have every right to resist. "America has to understand our needs as well. Our tariffs on America are not that unreasonable. It's about 17 per cent average. American goods are not priced competitively enough to sell in the Indian market," he told news agency ANI.
Rajeev Shukla
{{/usCountry}}Tharoor further added that if America's demands are completely unreasonable, then India's negotiators have every right to resist. "America has to understand our needs as well. Our tariffs on America are not that unreasonable. It's about 17 per cent average. American goods are not priced competitively enough to sell in the Indian market," he told news agency ANI.
Rajeev Shukla
{{/usCountry}}Congress MP Rajeev Shukla slammed Trump and said that his 'dead' Indian economy remark "is wrong".
"The Indian economy is not dead. Economic reforms were made when PV Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh were there. Atal Bihari Vajpayee took those reforms forward. Manmohan Singh strengthened it in the 10 years. The current government has also worked on it," he told ANI.
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Shukla further defended the country and said that India's economic condition is not at all weak. "If someone claims they can finish us economically, it's likely due to a misunderstanding," he added.
The Congress leader said that Trump was "living in a delusion", adding that imposing tariffs is wrong.
"Every nation has the right to trade with the nation it wants. Restricting them, speaking against the BRICS, speaking against trade and import from Russia, this is not right," Shukla added.
Imraan Masood
Congress MP Imraan Masood expressed solidarity with Prime Minister Narendra Modi while condemning the US President's remark on the Indian economy.
"This government is not ready to speak even a single word on Trump... Have we become slaves of America? America is threatening us every day... What he (Donald Trump) said today is very objectionable. The whole country will stand firmly with PM Modi against this. But he should answer Trump," he told ANI.
Priyanka Chaturvedi
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi hit out at Trump's "arrogance" and "ignorance" for his 'dead' Indian economy comment.
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"Not that one needs to say it there's enough legitimate data available to know that Indian economy is in the top 5 of the world and one of the fastest growing economies. Calling it a dead economy can only come from a position of arrogance or ignorance. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" she said in a post on X.
RJD MP Manoj Jha said that Trump's remark was not just on the government but on the entire nation. "It has been a tradition in the Rajya Sabha to ask for clarifications, but any possibility of that was ruled out today... This was not just a comment on the government but on India," he added.