'Will Trump kidnap our PM too?' Congress leader sparks row
What's the story
Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan has stirred controversy with his recent remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During his criticism of the United States's steep tariffs on Indian goods, he rhetorically questioned whether a scenario similar to the US action in Venezuela could occur in India, asking if US President Donald Trump would "kidnap" PM Modi. "Will something like what happened in Venezuela happen in India? Will Mr. Trump kidnap our Prime Minister?" he asked.
Chavan
'We will have to look for alternative markets'
Chavan highlighted that the steep tariffs could severely impact Indian traders and hinder trade between India and America. "With a 50 percent tariff, trade is simply not possible. In effect, this amounts to blocking India-US trade, especially exports from India to the United States. Since a direct ban cannot be imposed, tariffs have been used as a tool to stop trade....We will have to look for alternative markets, and efforts in that direction are already underway," he said.
Political critique
Chavan criticizes Modi government, hints at US influence
Chavan's comments followed Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge's criticism of the Centre over the US's tariffs on Indian goods. "I heard an audio today wherein Trump said, on Russian oil, that he knows that Modi respects him and listens to him. What does this mean? It means that Modi is under his control," Kharge said. Trump had claimed that "Modi wanted to make me happy" after the US raised tariffs on India as a "penalty" for buying Russian oil.
Social media backlash
Chavan's Venezuela remark draws ridicule, criticism
Chavan's comment about a possible kidnapping by Trump has been ridiculed on social media. Many users called his statement "brain dead," "illiterate," and "foolish." Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, along with his wife, was seized from a compound in the capital city of Caracas in the early hours of Saturday morning during a raid by US special forces and law enforcement officials. He was arrested on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy, which he denied.