Modi's 'weakness' must not override Indians' interest: Oppn targets PM over Trump's 50% tariff

New Delhi: Opposition on Wednesday described US President Donald Trump hiking tariff against India to 50 per cent as "economic blackmail" and American "bullying", and attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying his "weakness" must not override Indians' interests.

The opposition parties said India must stand firm and defend its interest while claiming that Trump's actions also reflect the "abysmal failure of Modi's personalised and headline-grabbing style of huglomacy".

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said soon after the announcement, "Trump’s 50 per cent tariff is economic blackmail - an attempt to bully India into an unfair trade deal. PM Modi better not let his weakness override the interests of the Indian people."

In response to Trump's threat to increase tariff on Tuesday, Rahul said earlier in the day, "India, please understand: The reason PM Modi cannot stand up to President Trump despite his repeated threats is the ongoing US investigation into Adani. One threat is to expose the financial links between Modi, AA, and Russian oil deals. Modi’s hands are tied."

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek O'Brien posted on X, "25 + 25 =50. Now what will 56 inch say about the 50 per cent Trump tariff. And now we know why Modi and his creaky coalition are disrupting Parliament."

CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby called imposition of 50 per cent tariffs "unilateral and illegal" and said, "India must stand firm, defend our interests, and resist US pressure.”

"US unilateralism endangers global stability. Time to build a global front against US bullying, economic coercion, and wars," Baby said on X.

Trump on Wednesday raised tariffs on India from 25 per cent to 50 per cent on goods coming from India to penalise New Delhi for its continued purchase of oil from Russia.

Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said Trump, while "still claiming to be a friend" of Modi, has "hit India hard and unjustly".

"While his tariff and penalty actions are simply unacceptable, the fact remains that they also reflect the abysmal failure of Modi's personalised and headline-grabbing style of huglomacy," he said.

Recalling how Indira Gandhi "stood up to the bullying of the US in the 1970s", he said, "Instead of defaming, distorting, and denigrating her, Modi should shed his ego--if indeed that were possible--and take inspiration from the manner in which she stood up to the USA. India's foreign policy and administration needs a comprehensive reset."