Jairam Ramesh hits out at PM Modi as Trump imposes 25% tariff on India

After US President Donald Trump announced 25 per cent tariff on India, Congress on Thursday, 31 July, took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that he once spoke of the TOP (Tomato, Onion, Potato) challenges in prices, but the country now has to be contend with the political challenges arising out of CAP (China, America, Pakistan).

Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said that US President Donald Trump is "piling it on India".

In an X post, Ramesh wrote, "Since 10 May, he has claimed 30 times that he stopped Operation Sindoor. These claims were made in four different countries. On 18 June, he hosted the Pakistan army chief and the orchestrator of the Pahalgam terror attacks for lunch at the White House."

"On 30 July, he imposed a 25 per cent tariff on US imports from India plus a penalty on India's oil and defence purchases from Russia. In addition, sanctions on at least six Indian companies were imposed for engaging with Iran," he said.

On 30 July, Trump also announced that the US will help Pakistan explore and develop its oil and gas reserves, Ramesh said, adding that this comes on top of his full-throated support to Pakistan receiving financial assistance from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

"Prime Minister Modi once spoke of the TOP (Tomato, Onion, Potato) challenge in prices. Now India has to contend with the political challenge arising out of CAP (China, America, Pakistan)," Ramesh said.

"He (Modi) 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," the Congress leader said.

The remarks came a day after the US President announced the imposition of 25 per cent tariff on all goods coming from India starting 1 August, plus an unspecified penalty on the country for buying Russian crude oil and military equipment.

The announcement is being seen as a pressure tactic to get New Delhi to agree to demands made by the US, which has, in recent days, got favourable trade deals with major partners like Japan, the UK and the European Union.

In a social media post, Trump termed India's trade policies as "most strenuous and obnoxious".

"All things not good! India will therefore be paying a tariff of 25 per cent, plus a penalty for the above, starting on August first," Trump wrote.

The penalty was announced as India has made large purchases of oil and military equipment from Russia. India is the first country Trump has slapped a penalty over Russian imports. Earlier, he had imposed high tariffs on China but refrained from levying any penalty despite Beijing being Russia's largest oil importer.

On Wednesday, the Opposition parties slammed the government for the US' imposition of the tariff and penalties on Indian imports, and said that Prime Minister Modi's friendship with the US president meant little.

Ramesh had said that Modi should take inspiration from former prime minister Indira Gandhi and stand up to the president of the United States.