After former US President Donald Trump announced an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods—raising total tariffs to 50%—the Indian Opposition, led by the Congress party, launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy approach. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh drew a pointed historical comparison, reminding Modi of how former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi firmly stood her ground against US pressure from President Richard Nixon during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. In a strongly worded post on X, Ramesh called the current situation “an abysmal failure of Mr. Modi's personalised and headline-grabbing style of huglomacy” with Trump.
Ramesh argued that Modi should look to Indira Gandhi’s example instead of vilifying her legacy, adding that India's foreign policy now required a comprehensive reset. He framed Trump's move not just as economic aggression, but as a reflection of the collapse of Modi’s overly personal and optics-driven diplomacy with world leaders.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also weighed in, characterising Trump’s tariff hike as “economic blackmail” and warning the Prime Minister not to let “his weakness override the interests of the Indian people.” According to Rahul, the 50% tariff increase is an effort to corner India into an unfair trade arrangement, and he urged Modi to respond with strength rather than submission.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor raised further alarms, saying the steep tariffs would render Indian goods unaffordable in the American market, affecting India’s competitiveness. Tharoor pointed out that US consumers might now prefer imports from countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan, where tariffs remain lower. He emphasised that such a shift could damage India’s export sector, especially in industries like textiles and handicrafts.
The larger concern voiced by the Opposition is that Trump’s decision not only jeopardises India’s trade interests but also exposes the limitations of Modi’s foreign policy strategy, which has heavily relied on cultivating personal relationships with global leaders. With Trump now turning that friendliness into economic leverage, the political fallout at home is likely to sharpen, especially as India's export sectors brace for impact.
