Rahul Gandhi, a senior Congress politician, has failed in his attempt to use US President Donald Trump's "dead economy" comment to disparage the Narendra Modi administration; instead, his party colleagues and allies have taken a different stance. Mr. Gandhi's support of Trump's statements also gave the BJP a chance to politically retaliate against the criticism of the opposition.
His senior party colleagues Shashi Tharoor and Rajiv Shukla cited the resilience of the Indian economy while Mr. Gandhi backed Trump's comments and used them to criticize the Center. Mr. Tharoor emphasized that New Delhi must not give in to the irrational demands of Washington, DC. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP and prominent opposition figure Priyanka Chaturvedi has also attacked Trump, saying that such a claim "only comes from a position of arrogance or ignorance."
Trump made a shocking announcement today, one day after declaring 25% tariffs on Indian goods. He has taken aim at Russia and India, saying that the two "can take their dead economies down together" and that he is unconcerned about New Delhi's relations with Moscow.
"What India does with Russia doesn't concern me. I don't care if they tear down their respective dead economies simultaneously. Since India has some of the highest tariffs in the world, we haven't done much business with them. Similarly, there is hardly any business between the United States and Russia. In a post on Truth Social, he stated, "Let's keep it that way."
Shortly afterward, Mr. Gandhi expressed his agreement with the US President to reporters at Parliament. "Everyone knows that he is correct, with the exception of the finance minister and prime minister. I'm happy that President Trump made a factual statement.
Mr. Gandhi accused the Prime Minister of "killing" the economy and attributed the problem on a "flawed" GST and demonetisation. In a jab, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha claimed that MSMEs had been "wiped out" and "farmers crushed" as a result of the failure of "Assemble in India," a parody of "Make in India."
Regarding Trump's comment, Mr. Tharoor, whose comments on the Pahalgam incident and Operation Sindoor have caused the Congress leadership to ignore him, took a different stance from Mr. Gandhi.
He emphasized the "challenging" nature of the current trade negotiations between the US and India, saying, "We have ongoing negotiations with the EU, we have already concluded a deal with the UK, and we are talking with other countries also." We might need to broaden our markets outside of America if we are unable to compete in the US. We still have options.
The MP from Thiruvananthapuram added that if the US's demands are "completely unreasonable," India must "move elsewhere." India's strength is that, unlike China, our economy is not entirely dependent on exports. Our home market is robust and good. For our negotiators to get the best bargain, we must provide them with solid support. We could have to leave if a good arrangement cannot be reached.
"Completely wrong" is how Rajya Sabha MP Rajiv Shukla described Trump's statement. "We are in a strong economic position. If someone says they can economically finish us, it's probably a miscommunication. Trump told news agency ANI that he was delusional.
"Their oil deal with Pakistan doesn't concern us," Mr. Shukla later stated in an interview with NDTV about the US-Pakistan oil pact. No nation has the right to control who we can and cannot do business with.
Prominent opposition lawmaker Priyanka Chaturvedi stated that there is sufficient evidence to conclude that the Indian economy ranks in the top five globally. "Calling it a dead economy can only come from a position of arrogance or ignorance," she stated on X.
She stated in a different piece that although India faces economic difficulties and must improve per capita income, these difficulties "do not equate to a dead economy." According to her, Trump's remarks are obviously an attempt to seal a deal.
Mr. Gandhi has been retaliated by the BJP. Amit Malviya, a senior party leader, called the Congress leader's reiteration of Trump's "dead economy" remark a "shameful insult to the aspirations, achievements, and well-being of the Indian people" and said it marked a new low.
"But let's face it, Rahul Gandhi's political legacy and reputation are the only things that are genuinely "dead" in this situation. The IMF and World Bank have revised growth predictions upward, making India the world's fastest growing major economy even in the middle of a global slump," he said, adding, "This is not a dead economy." This India is strong and on the rise.
"Really, for whom is Rahul Gandhi speaking? Why does he perpetuate anti-Indian propaganda from abroad? Mr. Malviya went on.
BJP leader K Annamalai made a connection between Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor. "Today, I saw statements made on the same subject by two members of Congress. He claimed that one spoke for India's interests while the other did it in a way that pleased his offshore bosses.
"This opposition leader feels differently when the rest of the world views India as the sole bright point on an otherwise bleak horizon. Ignorance is still a badge of honor for LoP Thiru Rahul Gandhi Avl. "He is eager to echo foreign voices that undermine India's rise, but he is blind to it," he said.
