Congress MP Jairam Ramesh launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 25 per cent tariff on US imports from India, alongside additional penalties. Ramesh said the Prime Minister had “invested very heavily in his personal friendship” with Trump, which has now yielded diplomatic and economic setbacks for India.
Taking to social media platform X, the Congress leader cited a series of recent actions by the US President that he claims reflect a hardening American stance towards India. "President Trump is piling it on India. Since May 10th, he has claimed 30 times that he stopped Operation Sindoor. These claims were made in four different countries. On June 18th, he hosted the Pakistan Army Chief and the orchestrator of the Pahalgam terror attacks for lunch at the White House," Ramesh said.
"On July 30th, he imposed a 25 per cent tariff on US imports from India, plus a penalty on India's oil and defence purchases from Russia," he added. Ramesh also pointed to sanctions on at least six Indian companies for their alleged dealings with Iran and criticised Trump's promise to support Pakistan’s oil and gas development, as well as his advocacy for Pakistan receiving aid from global financial institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The Congress leader accused Modi of being misled by personal diplomacy, citing past examples. “The Prime Minister once spoke of the TOP challenge — Tomato, Onion, Potato — in inflation. Now India has to contend with a new challenge: CAP — China, America, Pakistan,” Ramesh remarked. “He invested very heavily in his personal friendship with President Trump, as he had done earlier with President Xi. Both have the full measure of the man now — someone who can be managed easily by playing to his gigantic ego and self-obsession,” he added.
Also Read: Jairam Ramesh mocks PM as Trump slaps 25% tariffs on India
Earlier on Wednesday, President Trump made the formal tariff announcement, stating that India’s high trade barriers and continued purchases from Russia justified punitive action. “Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their tariffs are far too high—among the highest in the world. They also have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary trade barriers of any country,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
He further noted India’s continued reliance on Russian military hardware and energy supplies, stating, “They have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia's largest buyer of energy, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to stop the killing in Ukraine.”
"India will therefore be paying a tariff of 25 per cent, plus a penalty, starting on August 1st. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAGA!" the post concluded. The development marks a fresh low in Indo-US ties and has triggered sharp political responses at home, with the Congress questioning the effectiveness of Modi’s foreign policy that has long placed personal rapport at the forefront of diplomacy.
Also Read: PM Modi and Amit Shah have OCD about Nehru, says Jairam Ramesh
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