Opposition condemns Rahul Gandhi's endorsement of Trump's 'dead economy' remarks
What's the story
Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's endorsement of United States President Donald Trump's "dead economy" remark has backfired. The backlash comes from within his party and its allies, who have taken a contrary stance. While Gandhi used Trump's comments to criticize the Narendra Modi government, senior Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Rajiv Shukla defended India's economic strength.
Economic resilience
India has strong domestic market, says Tharoor
Tharoor stressed that India has a strong domestic market and isn't solely dependent on exports like China. He said if the US is "completely unreasonable" with its demands, India should consider moving elsewhere. Shukla also dismissed Trump's statement as "completely wrong," adding that India's economic condition is not weak. He said, "If someone claims they can finish us economically, it's likely due to a misunderstanding."
Political fallout
Priyanka Chaturvedi slams Trump; BJP hits back at Gandhi
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also slammed Trump for his remarks. She said the comment can "only come from a position of arrogance or ignorance." The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also hit back at Gandhi for endorsing Trump's comments. BJP leader Amit Malviya called it a "shameful insult" to Indians and questioned Gandhi's political credibility and legacy. "Even amidst global slowdown, India remains...world's fastest-growing major economy, with the IMF and World Bank revising growth projections upwards," he said.
Political critique
Everyone knows, except PM and FM: Gandhi
After Trump called India and Russia "dead economies," Gandhi said the US president is right and that "everyone except Prime Minister Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Trump's remarks came after he announced a new 25% tariff on India. The tariff comes with an extra penalty for India's strategic trade with Russia. He said the US had a "massive" trade deficit with India and linked its military equipment purchases and energy imports from Russia to Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.