‘Why this surrender’: Cong to PM on Trump’s trade tariff cut claim-OxBig News Network

The Congress on Saturday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take Parliament into confidence on US President Donald Trump’s claim that India has agreed to reduce its tariffs. The party also questioned the BJP government’s “silence” after Trump’s fresh salvo of “exposing” India, which it termed an insult to the country’s dignity.

Trump, in his White House press briefing, said India had agreed to cut its tariffs “way down” as he reiterated his claim that the country charges America massive tariffs that make it difficult to sell products there.

Reacting to the Trump’s statement, senior Congress leader Pawan Khera raised several questions before the government. Khera, chairman media and publicity for Congress, said, “What was your minister Piyush Goyal doing in the US when President Donald Trump unilaterally announced that India has agreed to reduce tariffs?”

Khera asked if the government had held consultations in case such a decision had been taken by the government, for which confirmation is awaited.

“Is it reducing reciprocal tariffs better than reducing your own tariffs? Have you had a discussion, conversation with the experts? Have you had discussions within the government and with the Opposition? Who have you taken into confidence in taking such a strategic decision in case such a decision has been taken?” Khera questioned.

“I keep adding these qualifiers because there is no official statement from the government yet. We are only going by what Donald Trump has said,” he said.

As per Khera’s estimates, India will suffer a loss of Rs 60,000 crore annually if US imposes tariffs on India. The Congress leader accused PM Modi of surrendering before Trump and not been able to talk to his American counterpart in a firm tone.

“If Mexico and Canda can pick up the phone and talk to Donald Trump in a firm voice, have we done that? Has the Prime Minister picked up the phone and spoken to his friend? Has the Modi government surrendered the interests of farmers, MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) to benefit some select crony friends? Why this pressure? Why this fear? Why this silence? Why this surrender of Modi?” he questioned.

Khera said India is such a huge country, a huge market, which has got massive consumption power. “Despite that, we have surrendered,” he said, while taking a potshot at the Prime Minister, saying, “His name is Narendra, and his work is surrender.”

He alleged that due to PM Modi’s “silence,” the position of India has been undermined globally.

“Why will any global power take India seriously if this is how we undermine our own power?” Khera said.

He further said the perception of the power of India’s Prime Minister had been shaped globally in 1971 when India refused to get cowed down by America’s 7th fleet. “In 1974, when we did the nuclear tests in Pokhran, America tried to armtwist us. Later, when Atalji was the PM, Pokhran 2 happened. Again, they tried to armtwist us, we didn’t get bogged down,” Khera said.

Referring to Modi’s recent US visit, he asked, “Why did we allow President Trump to continue insulting India in the presence of the Prime Minister a few weeks ago?”

Khera said the dignity of Indians had been compromised, which was evident when deported Indians in shackles landed in Amritsar from the US. Even deportees of a country like Nepal were not shackled, he added.