NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge came down hard on the Modi government Thursday after US President Donald Trump hit India with a total 50% trade tariff, calling it one of the biggest setbacks to India's foreign policy in recent times.
The Trump administration had first announced a 25% tariff on Indian goods on August 1, and followed it up almost a week later with an additional 25%, targeting India’s oil trade with Russia. Reacting sharply, Kharge said the Modi government had failed to protect India’s economic interests.
"India's national interest is supreme," Kharge said, slamming the Centre for what he called a "clueless" foreign policy. He added, "Trump's 50% Tariffs comes at a time, when our own diplomacy is disastrously dithering."
Kharge also recalled how India had handled tough phases in the past with dignity. "From the threats of 7th fleet to the sanctions of Nuclear tests, we have navigated our relationship with the US with self-respect and dignity," he said.
In a long post on X, the Congress chief targeted Prime Minister Modi directly, listing out five key points to highlight what he sees as failures of the government:
"1. You kept mum when Trump claimed that he BROKERED the CEASEFIRE. He has claimed at least 30 times and counting.
2. On November 30, 2024, Trump had threatened to impose a 100% tariff on BRICS nations. PM Modi was sitting there, visibly smirking, while Trump declared ‘BRICS dead’!
3. Trump has been planning "RECIPROCAL TARIFFS" since months now. We all knew about it. You did nothing in the Union Budget to soften the blow on our key sectors such as Agriculture, MSMEs and various industries.
4. Your ministers have been talking about negotiating a trade deal with America for months. Some of them even camped in Washington for several days.
5. You failed to negotiate a TRADE DEAL with the US . You had more than 6th months. Now Mr. Donald Trump is intimidating and coercing us - but you keep quiet."
Kharge warned that the tariffs would hit India’s economy hard. "India’s exports to the US amounts to about Rs 7.51 lakh crore (2024). A blanket 50% tariff means an economic burden of Rs 3.75 lakh crore," he said.
Read | Donald Trump’s 25% additional tariff on India: What are ‘secondary tariffs’ and how do they differ from ‘secondary sanctions’? Explained
He added that sectors like MSMEs, agriculture, dairy, engineering goods, electronics, gems and jewellery, drug formulations, petroleum products, and cotton clothing would be hit the hardest. "Your Govt is CLUELESS how to deal with it. You can't even blame this FOREIGN POLICY DISASTER on the 70 years of Congress!!" he said.
Meanwhile, the ministry of external affairs, earlierm issued a strong statement, calling the US move "unfortunate" and said India would continue to act in its own national interest. "It is extremely unfortunate that the US should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest," the MEA said.
President Dionld Trump signed the executive order for the extra 25% tariff on Wednesday. The first 25% tariff will come into effect from August 7, 2025, while the second round will begin 21 days later.
The Trump administration had first announced a 25% tariff on Indian goods on August 1, and followed it up almost a week later with an additional 25%, targeting India’s oil trade with Russia. Reacting sharply, Kharge said the Modi government had failed to protect India’s economic interests.
"India's national interest is supreme," Kharge said, slamming the Centre for what he called a "clueless" foreign policy. He added, "Trump's 50% Tariffs comes at a time, when our own diplomacy is disastrously dithering."
Kharge also recalled how India had handled tough phases in the past with dignity. "From the threats of 7th fleet to the sanctions of Nuclear tests, we have navigated our relationship with the US with self-respect and dignity," he said.
In a long post on X, the Congress chief targeted Prime Minister Modi directly, listing out five key points to highlight what he sees as failures of the government:
India's national interest is supreme. Any nation that arbitrarily penalises India for our time-tested policy of strategic autonomy, which is embedded in the ideology of Non-alignment, doesn't understand the steel frame India is made of.
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) August 7, 2025
From the threats of 7th fleet to the…
"1. You kept mum when Trump claimed that he BROKERED the CEASEFIRE. He has claimed at least 30 times and counting.
2. On November 30, 2024, Trump had threatened to impose a 100% tariff on BRICS nations. PM Modi was sitting there, visibly smirking, while Trump declared ‘BRICS dead’!
3. Trump has been planning "RECIPROCAL TARIFFS" since months now. We all knew about it. You did nothing in the Union Budget to soften the blow on our key sectors such as Agriculture, MSMEs and various industries.
4. Your ministers have been talking about negotiating a trade deal with America for months. Some of them even camped in Washington for several days.
5. You failed to negotiate a TRADE DEAL with the US . You had more than 6th months. Now Mr. Donald Trump is intimidating and coercing us - but you keep quiet."
Kharge warned that the tariffs would hit India’s economy hard. "India’s exports to the US amounts to about Rs 7.51 lakh crore (2024). A blanket 50% tariff means an economic burden of Rs 3.75 lakh crore," he said.
Read | Donald Trump’s 25% additional tariff on India: What are ‘secondary tariffs’ and how do they differ from ‘secondary sanctions’? Explained
He added that sectors like MSMEs, agriculture, dairy, engineering goods, electronics, gems and jewellery, drug formulations, petroleum products, and cotton clothing would be hit the hardest. "Your Govt is CLUELESS how to deal with it. You can't even blame this FOREIGN POLICY DISASTER on the 70 years of Congress!!" he said.
Meanwhile, the ministry of external affairs, earlierm issued a strong statement, calling the US move "unfortunate" and said India would continue to act in its own national interest. "It is extremely unfortunate that the US should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest," the MEA said.
President Dionld Trump signed the executive order for the extra 25% tariff on Wednesday. The first 25% tariff will come into effect from August 7, 2025, while the second round will begin 21 days later.
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