Modi Govt Must Stand Up To US: Congress

Congress leader Ajoy Kumar urged the government to stand up to the US government and tell them that reciprocal tariffs are unacceptable.

On February 27, the Congress party criticized US President Donald Trump’s push for reciprocal tariffs, stating that the Modi government must stand up to this “humiliation.” It argued that such actions would be unacceptable to India and could harm the country’s economy.

At a press conference in New Delhi, Congress leader Ajoy Kumar played videos of French President Emmanuel Macron correcting Trump during their meeting. He claimed that Prime Minister Modi remained silent while Trump spoke negatively about India.

Kumar pointed out that Trump has called India a tariff violator and threatened to impose tariffs, yet Modi did not respond. He noted that while Modi refers to Trump as his best friend, Trump continues to insult India.

Kumar warned that if tariffs are removed on items like apples, farmers in Himachal Pradesh would suffer. He also mentioned that removing tariffs on grapes would hurt traders in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Additionally, he said that if tariffs on vehicles are lifted, the Indian car market would face significant losses.

He accused Trump of trying to “humiliate” India over tariffs and criticized the Modi government for reducing customs duties on Harley Davidson and Tesla before Modi’s trip to the US. Kumar claimed that the economy is struggling under Modi’s leadership.

He stated that the stock market is in poor condition, with people withdrawing their money. Kumar predicted that reciprocal tariffs could lower India’s GDP by 0.5 to 0.6 percent, worsening the country’s situation. He labeled Modi as an enemy of the economy, citing issues like demonetization, flawed GST, and an unplanned lockdown.

Kumar urged the government to tell the US that reciprocal tariffs are unacceptable, referencing how Canada and Mexico successfully protested against similar tariffs.

He also criticized the government for not responding to Trump’s announcement of funds for Pakistan’s F-16 maintenance. Kumar noted that the deal between the US and Pakistan stated that F-16s would only be used against terrorism, yet Indian officials have claimed these jets have been used against India.

He questioned why the Modi government did not protest when Trump granted over USD 350 million to Pakistan. Kumar also raised concerns about the F-35 deal, stating that it is not in India’s interest and that there have been reports of its poor design and technology.

The Congress party asserted that reciprocal tariffs contradict accepted international trade principles. It urged Modi to remind Trump that trade should take precedence over personal relationships.

Trump has recently announced plans to increase US tariffs to match those of other countries, which could lead to economic conflicts with allies and rivals. He has stated that reciprocal tariffs will soon be imposed on countries like India and China.