Political leaders across India strongly condemned US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 25% punitive tariff on Indian goods, which raises the total US tariffs on Indian imports to 50%.
Trump issued the warning in response to India’s continued oil imports from Russia, a move that Indian politicians called hypocritical and politically motivated.
Leaders Reject US Pressure on Sovereign Policy
Indian leaders from multiple parties rejected Washington’s attempt to penalise India for pursuing an independent foreign policy, warning that the country may consider retaliatory trade measures if the tariffs are not withdrawn.
Calling the US action ‘extremely unfortunate’, Indian officials stated that many other countries, including China and Turkey, also continue to import oil from Russia, yet only India was being singled out.
BJP, Shiv Sena, AAP MPs Slam Trump’s Hypocrisy
BJP MP Shashank Mani Tripathi criticised the US move, saying, “It is wrong for any country to impose tariffs just because we maintain good relations with another. The US itself continues to buy from Russia. It cannot punish other countries—it doesn’t have that authority. I believe Trump will be forced to withdraw the tariffs on our democratic nation.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi accused the US of double standards, stating, “Trump is targeting India while ignoring other nations trading with Russia. It looks like a bullying tactic to push India into trade deals on American terms. We must consider retaliatory tariffs. Trading with us and then donating to Pakistan exposes US hypocrisy.”
AAP MP Ashok Kumar Mittal also challenged the inconsistency in US trade policies, saying, “When the US imports uranium, chemicals, and metals from Russia, where do those go? European allies traded $68 billion with Russia last year. Why didn’t Trump impose tariffs on them? The US must follow a consistent policy and stop threatening India. We won’t bow to pressure.”
Mixed Reactions from Opposition Leaders
While many leaders took a firm stance against the US, Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav urged for diplomacy and dialogue.
“The US is a powerful ally, and we’ve had historic ties. We should focus on strengthening those relations rather than escalating tensions,” he said.
Maharashtra Congress President H. Sapkal criticised the Modi government’s foreign policy approach.
“Our foreign policy has been weak for some time. Decisions made to please a select few are now causing problems for the common citizen. We need to put the nation first and take rational decisions,” he told reporters.
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