"Have we become so weak?" Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat on Trump's 25% tariff on India
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New Delhi: Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence on the 25 per cent tariff imposed by US President Donald Trump on Wednesday.He questioned whether the BJP government has become so vulnerable that discussions regarding strategic initiatives or oil procurement are subject to interference from US President Trump."Trump has created a state of confusion. Neither the government nor PM Modi made any statement in the House or took responsibility... Have we become so weak that even discussing strategies prompts interference from Trump?... The saddest part is when we discuss the trade balance, especially since we have about 130 billion dollars worth of trade with the US. Our position is strong on this, so there is no reason for America to dominate us... PM Modi should come forward and clarify the entire situation regarding India's decision... We are a sovereign country, but such interference contradicts the dignity of the nation," he said.Trump on Wednesday made a shocking statement on his social media platform Truth Social after the announcement of 25 per cent tariffs against India and threatened an additional "penalty" for importing Russian oil."I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India; their tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world," Trump said.He later signed a fresh executive order imposing revised tariffs for 70 countries, including India.Tariffs imposed on India's neighbouring countries are less than India's 25 per cent, except for Myanmar at 40 per cent. The new tariffs for Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Japan, and Sri Lanka are 19%, 15%, 20%, 19%, 15%, and 20%, respectively.The new tariffs, outlined in a sweeping order signed on Friday (IST), will come into effect from 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on August 7.Meanwhile, the government told the Parliament on Thursday that it is examining the impact of the recent events and will take all necessary steps to safeguard the national interest. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal made a statement in the lower House of Parliament a day after Trump announced the tariff. He later made a similar statement in the Rajya Sabha.Goyal said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is holding talks with exporters, industries and all stakeholders and gathering information on their assessment of this issue.
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