NEW DELHI : After US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on all goods imported from India, the Congress party slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of failing to safeguard India’s strategic and economic interests.

Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, ridiculed the Prime Minister’s earlier focus on inflation in essential vegetables, famously encapsulated in the acronym TOP (Tomato, Onion, Potato).

“Now, the real challenge for India comes from CAP, China, America, and Pakistan,” Jairam Ramesh said, pointing to what he described as a worsening geopolitical scenario under Modi’s leadership.

Ramesh accused President Trump of “piling it on India” and outlined a series of hostile actions taken by the US administration.  In a post on social media platform X, he said Trump had made 30 claims since May 10 about halting “Operation Sindoor”—a reference not clarified in the post, across four countries.

He also slammed Trump’s June 18 meeting with the Pakistan Army Chief and an alleged orchestrator of the Pahalgam terror attacks, which took place at the White House.

“On July 30, Trump announced not just a 25% tariff on Indian imports, but also an additional penalty for India’s continued oil and defense purchases from Russia,” Ramesh noted. “Sanctions were imposed on at least six Indian companies for doing business with Iran, while the US pledged to assist Pakistan in developing its oil and gas sector,” he added.

According to Ramesh, these moves come alongside US-backed financial aid to Pakistan from global institutions like the World Bank and the IMF, which he believes undermines India’s regional interests.

He also slammed Modi’s foreign policy approach, particularly his personal diplomacy with world leaders. “The Prime Minister invested heavily in his personal relationships with both President Trump and President Xi of China,” Ramesh said. “Unfortunately, both seem to have figured him out, as someone who can be easily managed by appealing to his ego and self-obsession.”

Congress general secretary in charge communications Jairam Ramesh. The backlash from Congress follows Trump’s announcement that the 25% tariff and penalties on India will take effect from August 1.

In his own social media post, the US President lashed out at India’s trade practices, describing them as “most strenuous and obnoxious,” and declared, “All things not good! India will therefore be paying a tariff of 25 percent, plus a penalty.”

This move marks the first time Trump has penalized a country over its imports from Russia, despite Russia’s biggest oil customer being China, which has so far avoided similar US penalties.

Opposition leaders in India swiftly condemned the development, arguing that it reveals the hollowness of Modi’s supposed diplomatic clout. Congress urged the Prime Minister to take a leaf out of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s book and assert India’s sovereignty in the face of US pressure.

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