‘Failed foreign policy’: Oppostion tears into govt over US tariff

“By staying silent on Trump’s ceasefire statements and his warmth towards Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, PM Modi made the grave miscalculation of trying to appease Trump in the hope that India will receive a favourable trade deal,” said Venugopal.

“This completely exposes how the Modi government has compromised our national security and sovereignty by linking it to trade… We demand a clear explanation from the PM on how the government plans to navigate this perilous situation they have landed us in,” said the Congress leader.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the tariffs “will be disastrous for the Indian economy” and is a clear sign of “how the BJP government and the PM have compromised India’s national interests”.

“This comes despite Mr Modi bending backwards to woo Mr Trump… This move will have far reaching consequences on our economy, on our domestic industry, our exports and in turn employment,” said Shrinate.

Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Rai said the imposition of tariffs on India is an example of “another failure of the Central government’s foreign policy”. “Modiji also gave the slogan of ‘Ab ki baar Trump Sarkar’. On what scale has Trump kept India is clear after this announcement,” said Rai.

TMC Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha Sagarika Ghose said: “The hollowness of the Modi govt ‘abki baar Trump sarkar’ slogan has been exposed once again. We bow and scrape before the Americans in the hope of getting special treatment and are rebuffed yet again by the Trump administration. Time to stand up to the US and ensure that we put India first and get the best deal possible for India.”

CPI’s D Raja said that Trump has claimed “at least 30 times that he ‘mediated’ a ceasefire between India and Pakistan using trade as leverage”. “This is a blatant assertion of arm-twisting India’s foreign policy, yet the BJP remains silent,” said Raja.

CPI-M member of Rajya Sabha John Brittas said that Trump wants India to be a “slave”. “It is quite shocking that the US has imposed tariffs and a penalty on India… The most important aspect is that Trump wants India to be a slave. He has questioned the sovereignty of this country. He wants to dictate where we buy oil and weapons. This is an attack on our sovereignty,” Brittas said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi asked where “India’s trade minister is” and said: “Share a few words on the progress in the Trade deal? The US President’s post on the tariffs deserves a firm response from none less than the PM of India.”