Opposition parties across India launched a scathing attack on the central government following U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff on Indian imports, raising the total tariff to a staggering 50%. The move came in response to India’s continued oil trade with Russia. Calling it an “economic blackmail,” Congress leaders including Jairam Ramesh, Rahul Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge described the development as a direct consequence of Prime Minister Modi’s “huglomacy” and his failure to uphold India’s strategic autonomy. Jairam Ramesh invoked Modi’s past bonhomie with Trump—such as the “Ab ki Baar Trump Sarkar” slogan and the Howdy Modi event—to highlight how optics had overridden substance in India’s diplomacy. He slammed Modi for remaining silent while Trump dismantled international institutions and repeatedly offered to mediate on Kashmir, calling it an “abysmal failure of foreign policy.” Rahul Gandhi warned that the tariff hike could severely impact MSMEs, agriculture, and manufacturing, and urged Modi not to let “personal vanity override the interests of the Indian people.”

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge echoed these sentiments, branding the tariffs as “unilateral and illegal” and accusing the Modi government of being unprepared for retaliatory economic measures. In a detailed critique, he listed the Centre’s diplomatic lapses, including ignoring prior warnings about reciprocal tariffs and failing to allocate budgetary buffers for vulnerable sectors. Kharge asserted that the current crisis cannot be blamed on previous governments, stating: “You can’t even blame this foreign policy disaster on the 70 years of Congress.” Meanwhile, CPI(M)’s M.A. Baby and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also condemned the U.S. move, urging the government to resist foreign pressure and uphold India’s interests. Owaisi, known for his sharp commentary, labelled Trump as the “buffoon-in-chief” and ridiculed the BJP’s silence by sarcastically referencing Modi’s famed “56-inch chest” slogan. Trinamool MP Derek O’Brien also weighed in, mocking the BJP for distracting Parliament amid this diplomatic failure.

In response, Prime Minister Modi refrained from directly addressing Trump’s move but issued a veiled reply during his speech at the MS Swaminathan Centenary International Conference, stating that India would “never compromise” on the interests of farmers, fishermen, and dairy workers. The Ministry of External Affairs, meanwhile, condemned the U.S. decision as “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable,” asserting that India’s energy imports were dictated by market needs to ensure national security. The ministry emphasized that such unilateral actions go against the principles of mutual respect and cooperation in global trade and warned that India would take “all necessary actions” to safeguard its national interests. As the economic and political fallout unfolds, the pressure is mounting on the Modi government to recalibrate its foreign policy and respond decisively to safeguard both economic and strategic interests.