Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has publicly rejected US President Donald Trump’s statement calling India a “dead economy,” directly countering party colleague Rahul Gandhi’s endorsement of the same remarks. Tharoor, speaking to the media on Friday, dismissed Trump’s assertion and reaffirmed confidence in India's economic potential. “This is not the case, and we all know it,” the Thiruvananthapuram MP stated, distancing himself from what many within his party view as a damaging critique of the Indian economy.
Trump’s controversial comments came earlier this week when he criticized India’s continued strategic ties with Russia. “I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care,” he posted on social media, just hours after announcing steep 25 percent tariffs on a wide range of Indian exports. These remarks sparked a political storm in India, with reactions split across party lines.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, currently the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had supported Trump’s claims, using them to intensify his attack on the Modi government. “Yes, he is right, everybody knows this except the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. I am glad that President Trump has stated a fact,” Gandhi said, blaming the government for alleged economic decline and favouritism toward corporate groups like Adani. His comments triggered sharp criticism from the ruling BJP and led to confusion within Congress over the party’s official line on the issue.
In contrast, Tharoor, who has long championed a more internationally respected image of India, refused to back Gandhi’s remarks. His differing stance has fueled speculation of internal rifts within the Congress party, which have grown more pronounced following Tharoor’s recent support for Operation Sindoor—a cross-border military offensive led by Indian forces in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack. Tharoor publicly endorsed the operation, stressing that national interest must come before party allegiance.
Tensions between Tharoor and the Congress high command escalated when the government nominated him to lead the Indian delegation to the US to brief counterparts on Operation Sindoor, despite Congress not recommending his name. His appointment is seen as a recognition of his diplomatic and international policy experience, but it has further strained his relationship with party leadership. Notably, Tharoor was excluded from the Congress speakers' list during the parliamentary debate on Operation Sindoor, with sources revealing he had declined to speak, citing his unwillingness to contradict his own public stance for party optics.
Meanwhile, the central government has strongly pushed back against Trump’s economic assessment. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal told Parliament that India continues to be the fastest-growing major economy globally and is firmly on track to become the world’s third-largest economy. Goyal added that the government is evaluating the full implications of the new US tariffs and reiterated India’s commitment to protecting its national economic interests in the face of external challenges.
The contrasting reactions to Trump’s comments reflect deeper ideological and strategic divisions within the Indian political landscape, as well as within the Congress party itself, where leaders like Tharoor are increasingly asserting independent views on matters of national and international significance.
