'Will Trump now kidnap Modi': Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan stirs row

Chavan spoke about the US action on Venezuela and asked if Trump administration would have a similar operation on India.

Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan stoked a row comparing India with Venezuela and asked if US President Donald Trump could "kidnap" PM Modi.

Chavan made the remark while talking about US tariffs on Indian products. The Congress leader first argued how US tariffs would impact Indian exporters and the country.

“With a 50 per cent tariff, trade is simply not possible. In effect, this amounts to blocking India–US trade, especially exports from India to the United States," News18 quoted him as saying.

“The profits that our people earlier earned from exports to the US will no longer be available. We will have to look for alternative markets, and efforts in that direction are already underway," he added.

Chavan then spoke about the US action on Venezuela and asked if Trump administration would have a similar operation on India.

“The question then is: what next? Will something like what happened in Venezuela happen in India? Will Mr Trump kidnap our prime minister?" the publication quoted him as saying.

The BJP lashed out at Chavan and the Congress over the controversial remark.

“Congress sinks to new low everyday. Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan shamelessly comparing India’s situation with Venezuela. By asking whether ‘what happened in Venezuela can happen in India’, Congress is making its anti-India mindset clear. Rahul Gandhi wants chaos in Bharat. Rahul Gandhi is seeking foreign intervention in Bharat’s affairs!" BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari posted on X.

The US military recently conducted strikes on Venezuela, and eventually brought its President Maduro to the US to face a trial for charges of drug smuggling into the US.