‘What if Indians boycott American firms': AAP MP's firm open letter to Donald Trump over 50% tariffs

Hindustan Times

21 hours ago

AAP Rajya Sabha MP and chancellor of Lovely Professional University, Ashok Kumar Mittal, wrote an open letter to US President Donald Trump on Thursday over the imposition of a 50 per cent tariff on India. He cautioned that if Indians were to form a strategic restriction of American business, then there would be a far more "severe" impact on Washington. The LPU chancellor warned Trump that if Indians chose to form a strategic restriction of American business, then the impact would be far more severe on the US. (ANI)
Posting his open letter on X, Mittal asked, "What if 146 crore Indians boycott American companies operating in India?"
The Rajya Sabha MP termed Trump's move to raise India's tariff to 50 per cent due to the country's Russian oil purchase as "deeply disappointing".
He also referred to the US President's "dead economy" remark and said that this very economy is the "4th largest in the world, soon to be third, and remains the fastest growing among major nations".
Mittal highlighted that American companies generate more than $80 billion annually from the Indian market across various sectors, including tech, education, finance, and IP.
He noted that the US digital economy runs on code, much of which, he added, "is written in India".
"It is also telling that your close ally, the European Union, recorded over €67.5 billion in trade with Russia last year, including record LNG imports, even as it calls for others to scale back. What is more surprising is that the United States continues to quietly import uranium, palladium, as well as chemicals from Russia. Should a nation pressurise India against trade with Russia when it itself relies on the Kremlin for its domestic interests?" Mittal added.
The AAP leader recalled that the Swadeshi Movement was launched in India on August 7, 1905, describing it as a powerful assertion of economic self-reliance against foreign control. "If 146 crore Indians were to channel that spirit today and initiate a strategic restriction of US businesses, the impact would be far more severe for the United States than for India," he added.
Mittal said that while India has stood by the US so far because of its 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' spirit, the future now lies in the hands of those who understand that diplomacy and cooperation are the way forward, not reciprocal tariffs.
"Mr President, let us choose dialogue over discord, coordination over coercion. Let us shape the future - through respect, resolve, and renewed commitment to a rules-based global order," Mittal concluded his letter to Trump.
Several opposition leaders, including Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, have expressed discontent over the tariffs imposed on India by Trump.
US President Donald Trump had initially announced a tariff of 25 per cent on India and an unspecified penalty for the country's purchases from Russia. On Wednesday, the White House announced that Trump was imposing an additional 25 per cent levy on Indian goods due to New Delhi's trade with Russia, taking the total tariffs to 50 per cent.
India termed the US President's move to raise the tariffs as "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable". The ministry of external affairs said that India will take all the actions necessary to protect its national interests.