Congress, TMC, Left demand PM’s response; say ‘Howdy Modi’ diplomacy failed to protect Indian interests as US targets trade, hits out at ties with Russia
NEW DELHI — Opposition parties slammed the government on Wednesday after Donald Trump imposed a 25-per cent tariff and penalties on Indian imports, and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s friendship with the US president meant little.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Modi should take inspiration from former prime minister Indira Gandhi and stand up to the president of the United States, reported PTI.
“President Trump has slapped a tariff of 25 per cent plus penalty on imports from India. All that ‘taarif’ between him and ‘Howdy Modi’ has meant little,” Ramesh said in a post on X.
President Trump has slapped a tariff of 25% plus penalty on imports from India. All that taarif between him and Howdy Modi has meant little.
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) July 30, 2025
Mr. Modi thought that if he kept quiet on the insults that the US President has hurled on India — the 30 claims of stopping Op Sindoor,…
“Mr Modi thought that if he kept quiet on the insults that the US President has hurled on India — the 30 claims of stopping Op Sindoor, the special lunch for the Pakistan Army Chief whose inflammatory remarks provided the immediate backdrop to the brutal Pahalgam terror attacks, and US support for financial packages to Pakistan from the IMF and the World Bank — India would get special treatment at the hands of President Trump. Clearly that has NOT happened,” he added.
“He should take inspiration from Indira Gandhi and stand up to the US President,” the Congress leader said.
Taking a jibe at Modi, Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien shared a video of the prime minister and Trump on X. In a post on the microblogging platform, he said, “56 is less than 25! Now what will 56 inch say about the brutal 25 percent Trump tariff. Remember this….”
In the video shared by the TMC leader, Modi is heard saying, “We in India have connected well with President Trump.” He also repeats the slogan “Abki baar Trump Sarkar”.
Talking to reporters in the Parliament complex, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha said, “We are not very happy that it has happened under the rule of Prime Minister Modi. We want our government to accept the inadequacies, take everyone into confidence and say that this country will prevail as a strong entity.”
Communist Party of India (CPI) MP P Sandosh Kumar described Trump’s decision as “another insult to India”.
“This is another insult to India and India’s prestige. While the trade-agreement discussions are going on on one side, Trump is insulting Indian interests,” he told reporters in the Parliament complex.
Asked about the tariffs, DMK leader Tiruchi Siva said the prime minister should answer questions in this regard.
“For that also only the prime minister is competent to reply…. What has happened, why has it happened, how will it impact India…. Parliament has not been taken into confidence,” he told reporters.
Congress leader Manickam Tagore said, “This is the failure of the Modi government. The external affairs minister has failed.”
“‘Howdy Modi’, ‘Abki Baar Trump Sarkar’ — there were such slogans. Wherever Modi was going, he wanted to see how many awards he collects…. India’s interest was compromised and Modi’s PR was a priority. With that approach, India has become weak,” he told reporters in the Parliament complex.
In a Facebook post, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said Trump is punishing India for not just what he calls India’s high tariffs and “obnoxious non-monetary trade barriers”, but also for buying military equipment and energy from Russia.
“In other words, for not becoming exclusively dependent on the US! Can there be a more brazen attack on India’s sovereignty? The more the Modi government surrenders and keeps quiet, the more the Trump administration blackmails and pressurises India,” he said.
CPI general secretary D Raja said Trump has claimed at least 30 times that he “mediated” a ceasefire between India and Pakistan using trade as leverage. “This is a blatant assertion of arm-twisting India’s foreign policy, yet the BJP remains silent,” he said in a post on X.
“What is the Modi government’s response? Not a word. No protest. No rebuttal. Not even the courage to condemn Trump in Parliament, neither by the PM nor a single Cabinet Minister,” the Left leader said in a post on X.
“The PM must speak up! It’s time India regains its political autonomy, economic sovereignty, and moral authority by standing tall and pursuing an independent foreign policy,” he added.
Congress MP Mallu Ravi said Trump is giving threats to the Indian government and this is not acceptable.
Another Congress MP, Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, said Modi claims that Trump is his best friend but the US president’s agenda was clear that he wanted to impose tariffs on India. He demanded that the government negotiate a trade deal with the US quickly as it will affect exports and the economy.
Trump has announced a 25-per cent tariff on India from August 1 amid signs of a stalemate in the ongoing negotiations between India and the US on a bilateral trade deal.
Announcing the measure, the US president listed India’s high tariffs, its procurement of “vast majority” of military equipment and energy from Russia as well as “obnoxious non-monetary trade barriers”.
India will be paying a “tariff of 25 per cent plus a penalty” from August 1, he said, adding that “we have a massive trade deficit with India”.
However, in a social media post, the US president described India as a “friend”.
