logo
25% US tariff on India: How P Chidambaram, other Congress leaders reacted to Donald Trump's shocker

25% US tariff on India: How P Chidambaram, other Congress leaders reacted to Donald Trump's shocker

Hindustan Times19 hours ago
The Congress on Thursday hit out at the Narendra Modi government on Wednesday following US President Donald Trump's announcement of a 25% tariff and additional penalties on Indian imports, calling it a direct consequence of a "failed foreign policy" and the Prime Minister's 'personalised diplomacy' backfiring. Congress veteran P Chidambaram addresses a press conference.(File )
Congress veteran and former finance minister P Chidambaram said the Donald Trump's annoucment was a 'big blow' to India's trade with the US.
'The 25 per cent tariff on all Indian exports to the United States PLUS penalty for buying Russian oil is a big blow to India's trade with the U.S. 'Dosti' is no substitute for diplomacy and painstaking negotiations,' Chidambaram said in a post on X.
'The tariff imposed by the U.S. is a clear violation of the WTO rules. What happened to MIGA + MAGA = MEGA?' he added.
Congress leader Pawan Khera launched a scathing attack on the government over what he described as a foreign policy driven by desperation for validation from the US.
'The Modi government and its visionary foreign minister deserve a standing ovation! In their frantic race to gain America's approval, they've spurned old friends — and now America has signed an oil deal with Pakistan. To top it off, it says with a laugh: 'Who knows, maybe one day Pakistan will sell oil to India!' They promised good days, and what all days they're showing us!' Pawan Khera posted on X.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused Trump of 'piling it on India' and detailed a timeline of events that he said signalled Washington's clear drift toward Islamabad.
'President Trump is piling it on India. Since May 10th, he has claimed 30 times that he stopped Op Sindoor. These claims were made in four different countries. On June 18th, he hosted the Pakistan Army Chief and the orchestrator of the Pahalgam terror attacks for lunch at the White House," Ramesh wrote on X.
'On July 30th, he imposed a 25% tariff on US imports from India plus a penalty on India's oil and defence purchases from Russia. In addition, sanctions on at least six Indian companies were imposed for engaging with Iran. On July 30th, he also announced that the US will help Pakistan explore and develop its oil (and gas) reserves. This comes on top of his full-throated support to Pakistan receiving financial assistance from the World Bank and the IMF,' the senior Congress leader said.
Ramesh further wrote, 'Prime Minister Modi once spoke of the TOP (Tomato, Onion, Potato) challenge in prices. Now India has to contend with the political challenge arising out of CAP (China, America, Pakistan). He invested very heavily in his personal friendship with President Trump, as he had done earlier with President Xi. Both have the full measure of the man now--someone who can be managed easily by playing to his gigantic ego and self-obsession.'
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi took a swipe at the Modi government's silence over Trump's remarks and outreach to Pakistan's military leadership.
'Was it PM Modi government's thinking that keeping quiet on the US President's remarks on Indian Air Force and ignoring the camaraderie with Pakistan Army Chief would result in a sweet deal from the US government?' Gogoi posted on X.
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate also tore into the government, calling the tariffs 'a result of failed foreign policy".
Speaking in Delhi, she said, 'Rahul Gandhi had already warned about this... This is going to impact our economy, exports, production and in turn, our jobs and employment. We export pharmaceuticals to the US, and with the 25% tariff, they will become expensive, resulting in decreased demand, subsequently leading to lower production and employment. This is a result of our failed foreign policy...
'You (ruling) gave the slogan of 'Abki baar Trump Sarkar', but he sent our people shackled, said 30 times that he declared a ceasefire... What answer does PM Modi have on this? The government must have prepared in some way for this; all the sectors will be affected by it...'
Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the tariffs would take effect from August 1. 'Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country,' he wrote.
'Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia's largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE - ALL THINGS NOT GOOD! INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST 1st. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. MAGA!'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump brings back Presidential Fitness Test for American school children
Trump brings back Presidential Fitness Test for American school children

India Today

time6 minutes ago

  • India Today

Trump brings back Presidential Fitness Test for American school children

US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday (local time) via signing an executive order to reinstate the Presidential Fitness Test for American school children, a program originally launched in 1966 to promote active lifestyles amongst the youth. The initiative, which was reshaped in 2012 under the Obama administration to focus more on individual health metrics, will now return to its roots with an emphasis on physical performance. Trump signed the executive order to reinstate the Presidential Fitness Test in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in ABOUT THE PRESIDENTIAL FITNESS TEST The fitness test will include classic components such as running, a one-mile run, sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups and sit-and-reach and flexibility assessments. Trump will also reinstate the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, led by US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which will develop criteria for a new Presidential Fitness Award. TRUMP'S SPORTING AGENDA The move to revive the Presidential Fitness test aligns with Trump's long-standing interest in athletics, reflected in his frequent attendance at major sporting events and personal weekend golf routines. The announcement comes as the US prepares to host several global competitions, including the 2025 Ryder Cup, the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the 2028 Summer Olympics. 'This is an important step in our mission to make America healthy again,' Trump said from the Roosevelt Room of the White House. From the late 1950s until 2013, graduate scholars all across our country competed against each other in the Presidential Fitness Test, and it was a big deal. Furthermore, he said, "This was a wonderful tradition, and we're bringing it back.' According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the president aims to foster 'a culture of strength and excellence' amongst future generations. The ceremony at the White House featured several athletes, including Bryson DeChambeau, Harrison Butker, Annika Sorenstam, Paul 'Triple H' Levesque, and Lawrence REACTIONS ON TEST'S REVIVALWhile the revival of the Presidential Fitness test has sparked enthusiasm amongst some advocates of physical education, experts caution that standardised testing alone may not yield lasting health benefits. Laura Richardson, a kinesiology professor at the University of Michigan, emphasised the importance of pairing assessments with educational programs tailored to individual student needs. 'It's not just, you get a score and you're doomed,' Richardson said. 'But you get a score, and we can figure out a program that really helps the improvement.' The Health and Human Services (HHS) Department continues to promote a model that supports personal fitness goals over competitive benchmarks, underscoring the need for a balanced approach to youth wellness.- EndsWith inputs from AP

Bihar electoral roll revision: As next phase starts, EC may deploy its officers to help voters get documents
Bihar electoral roll revision: As next phase starts, EC may deploy its officers to help voters get documents

Indian Express

time6 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Bihar electoral roll revision: As next phase starts, EC may deploy its officers to help voters get documents

With a minority of the 7.23 crore applicants submitting documents to prove their eligibility so far, and Bihar's draft electoral roll set to go live Friday, the Election Commission (EC) is weighing a new plan — deploying its own machinery to help issue the necessary papers, The Indian Express has learnt. The poll watchdog has asked District Magistrates, who are also District Election Officers (DEOs), to get Assistant Electoral Registration Officers — usually Block Development Officers acting as AEROs — to use existing government databases to verify eligibility and issue documents, sources said. Specifically, officials will be directed to refer to the Vikas Register maintained under the Bihar Mahadalit Vikas Mission, which contains household-level details of Scheduled Caste families. This register will be used to issue caste certificates to all members of a family. In addition, land ownership records, or khatiyan, will be used to issue residence or identity certificates for entire families. Caste certificates are among the 11 documents listed by the EC that electors can submit to prove their eligibility (age and citizenship) for inclusion in the final electoral roll. While the residence certificate is not listed by the EC, Booth Level Officers have been asking electors to have them made for the SIR drive. The EC order says the list is indicative, not exhaustive. Camps will be held at the offices of Block Development Officers (BDOs) to facilitate electors in getting documents made using existing records, according to EC and state government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Apart from that, the EC has already announced that volunteers would be deployed to help electors obtain the documents. According to sources, the EC expects that of the 7.23 crore people who have submitted enumeration forms, about half will fall under the exemption granted to electors listed on the 2003 electoral roll. Under this exemption, voters who figured on the 2003 rolls are not required to submit documentary proof of eligibility and their children can submit that extract as proof for their parents, but would have to submit a document for themselves. The year 2003 has been designated in Bihar as 'probative evidence of eligibility', meaning those on the roll that year, when the last intensive revision was conducted, will be presumed to be Indian citizens unless proven otherwise. For the remaining applicants, the EC hopes to include them in the final electoral roll — scheduled to be published on September 30 — through these special measures being planned to expedite the issuance of documents. In a message to Bihar electors shared on social media on Thursday, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said the draft roll would be published online and given to all recognised parties on Friday. 'The CEO of Bihar and 243 EROs will also be inviting any elector of that Assembly constituency or any recognised political party in Bihar to come forward and give claims and objections from August 1 to September 1, 2025, for adding names of any missing eligible elector, removing names of any ineligible elector or correction of any entry in the draft electoral rolls,' he said. On June 24, the EC had passed an order to conduct a Special Intensive Revision for the country, starting with Bihar, where Assembly elections are due by November. As opposed to the usual annual Special Summary Revision and pre-election revisions, this time the EC ordered the rolls to be prepared afresh — all existing 7.89 crore electors were required to submit new enumeration forms by July 25 in order to make it to the draft roll. For those who became electors after January 1, 2003, when the last intensive revision was carried out, the EC has asked for additional documents from a list of 11 to establish the date and/ or place of birth of the electors and one or both of their parents, for those born after July 1, 1987. For those on the 2003 electoral roll, an extract of that roll would suffice as proof. For those added after 2003, if their parents were on the 2003 roll, they can submit that extract as proof for their parents but would have to submit a document for themselves. The 11 documents listed by the EC include birth certificate, caste certificate, passport, educational certificate, family register, and land/ house allotment certificate issued by the government. The SIR order has been challenged in the Supreme Court through a batch of petitions filed by activists and Opposition leaders. The court had asked the EC to consider allowing Aadhaar, ration card, and its own Voter ID card as documentary proof, but the Commission has not accepted the suggestion. The matter is scheduled to be heard on August 12 and 13, after the publication of the draft roll but before the scheduled publication of the final roll on September 30. At the close of the first phase of the SIR, the EC said on July 27 that 7.23 crore forms had been received out of the total 7.89 crore electors and around 65 lakh names were set to be removed from the rolls, as the electors were found to have died, permanently shifted, registered in more than one place, or untraceable. The Commission had said that 22 lakh electors were found to be deceased, 36 lakh had permanently shifted or were not found by the BLOs, and 7 lakh were enrolled in multiple places. However, the Commission said the 'exact status of these electors will be known after scrutiny of these forms by ERO/AERO by August 1, 2025. However, genuine electors can still be added back in electoral rolls during the claims and objection period from August 1 to September 1, 2025. The name of the electors found enrolled at multiple places in electoral rolls will be retained only at one place.' Damini Nath is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. She covers the housing and urban affairs and Election Commission beats. She has 11 years of experience as a reporter and sub-editor. Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she was a reporter with The Hindu's national bureau covering culture, social justice, housing and urban affairs and the Election Commission. ... Read More

Shukla, Tharoor contradict Rahul's stance on economy
Shukla, Tharoor contradict Rahul's stance on economy

Time of India

time9 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Shukla, Tharoor contradict Rahul's stance on economy

Shashi Tharoor NEW DELHI: On a day when leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi endorsed US President Donald Trump's "dead economy" remark on India, Congress leader Rajeev Shukla refuted Trump's view, saying he was "wrong", even as party Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor held that US's imposition of 25% tariff and penalties may be just a "bargaining tactic" given that trade negotiations are on between the two countries. Another Congress MP, Karti Chidambaram, took a similar line and said, "Trump is not a conventional politician... We should not panic immediately. These are all opening positions in a negotiation." RS MP Rajeev Shukla told ANI in Parliament complex that "Trump saying that the economies of India and Russia are dead, is wrong. The Indian economy is not dead". He went on to add that "economic reforms were introduced when PV Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh were there. Atal Bihari Vajpayee took those reforms forward. Manmohan Singh strengthened them in his 10 years. The current govt has also worked on it. Our economic condition is not at all weak". "If someone claims they can finish us economically, it's likely due to a misunderstanding. Trump is living in a delusion. Imposing tariffs is wrong," Shukla added. With his remarks seen to be contradictory to what Rahul said on the state of the economy, Congress shared a video clip of Shukla responding to a question in Parliament where he said that Rahul Gandhi knows a lot about the economy and went on to list the economic reforms steered by Congress and UPA govt and accused BJP of attacking the party and the Gandhi family without any reason all the time. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If the Cat Bites You, Here's What It Really Means. Weird Cat Behavior Explained Undo Tharoor, commenting on the US's tariff decision, said, "We must give strong support to our negotiators to find the best deal possible. If a good deal is not possible, we may have to walk away". "Twenty-five per cent plus an unspecified penalty for buying oil and gas from Russia could take it up to 35% or 45%; we don't know how much. There is even talk of 100% penalty, which would destroy our trade with America," Tharoor told reporters. "Trade negotiations are still going on and there is a possibility, this may come down. If it doesn't, it will certainly damage our exports because America is a very big market for us," he added.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store