'Why is Modi afraid': Congress takes shot at PM over Donald Trump's latest threat; pans Centre's foreign policy
The party questioned PM Modi's silence, alleging that foreign policy under the BJP government had become more about optics than national interest.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh in a post on X said, 'So much for Howdy Modi. So much for Namaste Trump. So much for Ab ki Baar Trump Sarkar. So much for BJP MPs hailing Narendra Modi as India's trumpcard.'
Jairam Ramesh added, 'Despite all the hugs, all the handshakes, all the high-decibel bromance — 'My friend Dolaand' has delivered yet another jolt.'
He questioned what came of the 'much-vaunted' front-row seat at Trump's inauguration or the prime minister being one of the first world leaders to visit the White House. 'Tariffs are being slapped. Negotiations are going nowhere,' he said, also referring to Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir's recent White House visit.
'This is what happens when foreign policy becomes about image-building, not national interest,' Ramesh wrote.
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Meanwhile, in a separate post on X, the Congress party directly questioned the Prime Minister, saying, 'Now Narendra Modi's friend Trump has openly threatened India. Trump has said that he will impose even more tariffs on India.'
'Trump claims India is buying large quantities of oil from Russia and making huge profits by selling it. India doesn't care about those being killed in Ukraine. Trump is speaking out against India every day, and Narendra Modi is quietly listening to it all.
Why is Modi so afraid of Trump?' the post read.
The political row comes after Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post, said India was profiting from the war in Ukraine and warned of a substantial tariff hike. 'India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian oil, they are then, for much of the oil purchased, selling it on the open market for big profits. They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine.
Because of this, I will be substantially raising the tariff paid by India to the USA,' Trump wrote.
The statement follows earlier warnings from Trump about a 25 per cent tariff on India for its energy and defence transactions with Russia.
White House deputy chief of Staff Stephen Miller echoed the sentiment in a Fox News interview, accusing India of being 'basically tied with China' in oil imports from Russia. 'People would be shocked...
This is astonishing,' Miller said, alleging India also imposed high tariffs on US goods and had violated immigration norms.
Last week, Trump criticised India's trade policies, calling its barriers 'the most strenuous and obnoxious' globally. He also remarked that India and Russia could 'take their dead economies down together, for all I care.'
While Trump later claimed India may have halted Russian oil imports, he added, 'That's what I heard...
but I don't know if that's right or not.'
India has not confirmed any change in its oil trade with Russia. On Friday, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said energy decisions were based on market pricing and global conditions. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal told Parliament that India will act to protect its national interest.
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