RSS affiliate urges govt to resist US tariff pressure, calls for boycott

The Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM) on Wednesday urged the government to stand firm against any US attempt to use tariffs to influence India's purchase of Russian oil and called for a boycott of American products and services if Washington continued to act against India's interests.

The RSS-affiliated organisation also called on the government to ensure that India-US trade negotiations are conducted on the basis of equality, reciprocity and mutual respect, and to reject any demands that could compromise India's agriculture, dairy sector, energy security or strategic autonomy.

In a statement, SJM national co-convener Ashwani Mahajan said the organisation "deeply regrets" the recently passed US Senate legislation authorising the president to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on countries making significant purchases of Russian oil.

The legislation has yet to complete the full legislative process and the tariffs would not be imposed automatically, the organisation said, but argued that the measure posed a threat to free and fair international trade and countries' right to determine their own energy policies.

"The organisation fully supports the government's stand that India's purchase of Russian crude is based on considerations of energy security, availability, pricing, diversification of supplies and the interests of Indian consumers," Mahajan said.

SJM said Russian crude had provided Indian refiners with an additional source of supply and helped diversify the country's import basket.

"This has not only eased inflationary pressure on Indian consumers, but has also helped in keeping energy prices low globally, including in the US," Mahajan added.

The organisation said the issue was particularly significant as India and the US are simultaneously negotiating a bilateral trade agreement.

"The SJM believes that trade negotiations between two sovereign countries must take place on the basis of mutual respect, reciprocity and equality, and not through threats of punitive tariffs," Mahajan said.

SJM alleged that the proposed US legislation could be used as a pressure tactic in the ongoing trade negotiations and urged the government to remain firm on sensitive sectors, particularly agriculture and dairy, as well as India's right to determine its energy policy.

The organisation also criticised what it described as two "unnecessary goodwill gestures" by the government to facilitate the trade agreement.

It objected to a government notification removing inventory restrictions for FDI in e-commerce, claiming the move would primarily benefit American e-commerce companies, including Amazon and Flipkart-Walmart, and work against Indian exporters.

SJM urged the government to withdraw the notification allowing such e-commerce entities to hold inventories for exports.

It also opposed the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, arguing that it could enable the introduction of Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions through amendments to the Payment and Settlement Systems Act.

The organisation described UPI as "the successful story of the decade" and claimed that allowing banks and other notified electronic payment providers to impose MDR could shift the balance in favour of global payment companies such as Visa and Mastercard.

SJM further called on "nationalist and patriotic forces" to unite against what it described as "unilateral actions" by the US.

Mahajan said India should consider imposing a unilateral ban on US technology and social-media companies, alleging that some American social-media platforms had adopted "unethical and illegal tactics" that could create social unrest and threaten national security.

The organisation also appealed to consumers to boycott products of US companies such as Pepsi and Coke, along with American social-media and e-commerce platforms.

"If US continues to act against India's interests, this boycott can be extended to services of other US giants as well," it said.