Washington [US], September 2 (ANI): US Congressman Ro Khanna has slammed Trump administration imposing 50 per cent tariffs on Indian items and mentioned Americans cannot enable ‘ego of Donald Trump to destroy a strategic relationship with India’.
Khanna, co-chair of the US-India Caucus, mentioned Trump is undermining 30 years of bipartisan work to strengthen the U.S.-India alliance.
‘He has imposed a 50 % tariff on India, larger than another nation apart from Brazil. It’s a better tariff than the tariff on China. It is hurting India’s exports of leather-based and textiles into the United States. And it is hurting American producers and our exports into India. It can be driving India in direction of China and in direction of Russia,’ Khanna mentioned in a video posted on his X deal with.
‘Now, why is that this occurring? For quite simple causes. Prime Minister Modi refused to appoint Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize. Well, Pakistan did. And India has mentioned that the border dispute with Pakistan is an inner matter, refusing to offer Donald Trump credit score,’ he added.
The Congressman harassed the strategic significance of the US-India relationship.
‘We cannot enable the ego of Donald Trump to destroy a strategic relationship with India that’s key to making sure that America leads and never China. To all these Indian-Americans who voted for Donald Trump, I’m asking you, the place are you right now whereas he destroys this relationship?’ he mentioned.
Former US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan alleged earlier within the day that Trump has ‘thrown away’ ties with India over Pakistan’s willingness to do enterprise with Trump’s household.
In an interview with MeidasTouch Network, Sullivan mentioned, ‘US has labored to construct a relationship with India, a rustic that we must be aligned with on expertise, expertise, economics and so many points. And align with coping with strategic threats from China. Now. I feel due to Pakistan’s willingness to do enterprise with the Trump’s household, Trump has thrown away India relationship on aspect. Germany or Japan will have a look at that (India) and say that could possibly be us tomorrow. America’s mates will suppose that they can not depend on us in any approach.’
Sullivan’s remarks come amid issues over the 50 % tariffs imposed on Indian items, together with a 25 % penalty on Russian oil purchases, highlighting the financial and strategic fallout from Trump’s selections.
Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed confidence that India and the US will resolve commerce friction, noting India’s democratic values align extra intently with Washington than with China or Russia.
‘This is a longstanding assembly, it is known as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and I feel it is largely performative. I feel on the finish of the day; India is probably the most populous democracy on the planet. Their values are a lot nearer to ours and to China’s than to Russia’s. I feel on the finish of the day, two nice nations will get this solved. But the Indians haven’t been nice actors by way of shopping for Russian oil after which reselling it, financing the Russian warfare effort in Ukraine,’ Bessent mentioned in an interview with Fox Business.
White House commerce adviser Peter Navarro criticised PM Modi for assembly Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
‘It was a disgrace to see Modi getting in mattress as a frontrunner of the largest democracy on the planet with the 2 largest authoritarian dictators on the planet – Putin and Xi Jinping. That would not make any sense. I’m not positive what he is pondering. We hope he comes round to seeing that he must be with us, Europe and Ukraine, not Russia,’ he mentioned.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his tackle on the SCO Summit, highlighted the necessity to strengthen connectivity between member nations to spice up commerce, progress, and belief.
‘India has at all times believed that sturdy connectivity not solely boosts commerce but additionally opens doorways to progress and belief,’ he mentioned. (ANI)