Despite BJP mocking Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, he was proven right repeatedly, says Karnataka Chief Minister
NEW DELHI — Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday criticised the United States’ decision to impose a 50% tariff on Indian goods, calling it “economic blackmail” and a direct result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s focus on image-building rather than national interests.
“Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 50% tariff on Indian products is not diplomacy, it’s blackmail. And it’s the result of PM Modi’s obsession with headline management instead of defending national interests,” Siddaramaiah said, according to media reports.
Defending the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah said despite the BJP mocking him, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, was proven right again and again.
Taking to social media platform X, CM Siddaramaiah stated, “I fully agree with LoP Rahul Gandhi. Be it GST, demonetisation, Chinese aggression, or COVID failures, farm laws, Rafale, PM CARES, and electoral bonds — Rahul Gandhi called them out early. The BJP mocked him. But he was proven right, again and again.”
“His warning on US President Donald Trump’s 50 per cent tariff is no different. It is economic blackmail — the result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi prioritising headline management over real diplomacy and national interest,” the CM stated.
He further chided, “Since 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gone out of his way to please Trump — from the optics of ‘Howdy Modi’ (where the slogan “Abki Baar Trump Sarkar” was raised) to hosting Namaste “Doland” Trump during a looming COVID threat. He even courted Elon Musk, knowing his ties to Trump.”
“But Trump wasn’t impressed. He saw it not as diplomacy — but surrender,” he noted.
“Then he did exactly what a true friend wouldn’t: He claimed 33 times (and counting) that he brokered peace between India and Pakistan. He hosted Pakistan’s Army Chief — the man whose hate speeches led to the Pahalgam terror attack. He backed Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza — and Prime Minister Narendra Modi stayed silent, just to remain in Washington’s good books,” CM Siddaramaiah criticised.
“Through all this — No protest. No pushback. No dignity. Now, Trump hits India with unfair tariffs. Worse, he’s coercing us to cut ties with Russia — a direct attack on our sovereignty. No foreign power can dictate our trade choices,” he stated.
“This is the cost of running foreign policy like a personal PR campaign,” he underlined.
“In the 1970s, then PM Indira Gandhi stood firm against American pressure. Instead of attacking her legacy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should learn from it. India must uphold its strategic autonomy with dignity — not surrender it for photo-ops,” Siddaramaiah suggested.
“Ignoring the Leader of the Opposition’s prescient warnings has cost the nation enough. It’s time for the Modi Government to grow up — and act in India’s interest,” he concluded.
