Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on Indian imports and claimed credit for averting a war between India and Pakistan.
“Everybody has seen what the American President has said about tariffs, and that he claims he stopped a war between India and Pakistan. India must respond to both. PM Modi goes everywhere, makes friends, and then this is what we get,” she told reporters.
The U.S. President’s move has triggered sharp political reactions in India, with opposition parties questioning the Modi government’s foreign policy strategy.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also took a swipe at the Centre, calling the developments the “beginning of bad days.”
He said, “For 11 years, this government kept boasting about friendships, and today we see the result. The youth need jobs, and if the economy faces such hurdles, what will happen to the country’s future?”
Trump, while imposing the tariffs and penalties for India’s purchase of Russian oil, reiterated that India is among the world’s highest tariff-imposing nations. He said the U.S. is still negotiating with India on trade, but warned that high tariffs remain a sticking point.
