- Saturday, April 19, 2025
The Congress leader questioned Narendra Modi’s silence on the Trump administration’s imposition of 26 per cent reciprocal tariff on India
By: India Weekly
ASSERTING that an “economic storm” is coming, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (9) slammed prime minister Narendra Modi over the imposition of tariffs by the US and questioned his silence on the issue.
Addressing the AICC session on the banks of the Sabarmati river, Gandhi recalled that when Modi went to the US earlier, he had hugged American president Donald Trump.
“This time did you see their photograph hugging each other? Where has it vanished? President Trump, whom prime minister Modi calls a friend, ordered him that listen ‘we will not hug each other, this time we will impose tarrifs’. He (Modi) could not utter a word. He has disappeared,” the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.
So that people’s attention is not turned towards the tariff issue, they ran a drama in Parliament for two days, Gandhi said in an apparent reference to the late night sittings in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
“But the truth is an economic storm is going to come. When Covid came, Modi asked people to bang utensils, switch on the flashlight of mobile phones. Now an economic storm is coming and crores will suffer losses, where is he, where is he hiding,” Gandhi asked during his address at the session.
Referring to Modi’s recent meeting with Bangladesh’s chief adviser Muhammad Yunus, Gandhi said the Bangladeshi leader made adverse comments earlier and then Modi was seen sitting with him.
“He was mum, did not speak a word. Where is the 56-inch chest?” the Congress leader said, taking a swipe at Modi.
Gandhi also recalled that when his grandmother and former prime minister Indira Gandhi was asked whether she leans left or right, she stated that she is the prime minister of India and stands straight.
Gandhi claimed the current prime minister just bows before other foreign leaders.
In the resolution adopted at the AICC session, the Congress said its successive governments enhanced India’s global stature and demonstrated leadership on the world stage through a principled and visionary foreign policy.
“Sadly, the current regime has compromised India’s foreign policy at the altar of ‘individual branding’ and serving ‘vested interests’,” the resolution titled ‘Nyaypath’ said.
The Congress said it remains a strong votary of close ties between India and the United States, but it can never happen at the expense of India’s national interests.
“During the Prime Minister’s visit to Washington, D.C., we were publicly insulted in PM’s presence and our country was labelled as a ‘Tariff Abuser’. Indian migrants were treated like animals and deported from the United States in chains and handcuffs. Unfortunately, even the External Affairs Minister justified this inhumane treatment of our migrants by the U.S,” the resolution said.
Pilot flays politics of hate
Congres leader Sachin Pilot said the Congress party’s nationalism is to unite the country, while the BJP’s nationalism is aimed at dividing it.
He asserted the time has arrived to give a befitting reply to those who grab power in the name of religion, caste, language, clothes and food habits.
The Congress is committed to changing the atmosphere of hate, negativity and despair while following the path of justice and struggle, the former Union minister said.
Placing a resolution in front of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) to deliberate on it, Pilot said, “In the past 10 years, inflation, unemployment, economic inequality and religious polarisation have crossed all limits of cruelty.”
“Those who try to garner votes in the garb of nationalism, I would like to tell them that the Congress party was born for the country’s freedom.
“The sacrifices made by our leaders are unmatched in the world. Congress leaders have taken bullets in their chests to keep the country united — this is the nationalism of the Congress.”
“The Congress’s nationalism is to unite the country and integrate its diversity, while the BJP’s nationalism is to divide the country and destroy diversity,” Pilot said.
Giving a clarion call, the Congress leader said the time has come to give a befitting reply to those who grab power in the name of religion, caste, language, regionalism, clothing and food habits, and hold a mirror up to them.
“Those who talk of making a ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’, let me tell them that when Rajiv Gandhi ji became the Prime Minister, the Congress had more than 400 MPs… but we never heard him saying that he wanted to make the country opposition-free,” Pilot said.
The former Union minister said the country has shown the mirror to those who gave the slogan of ‘400 paar’ and brought them on two crutches.
Promote loyal workers: Gogoi
Congress’ deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, on Wednesday (9) said that if the party wants to win upcoming polls, it must promote “staunch Congress persons” who have remained in the party despite threats and enticements.
Gogoi recalled that when Rahul Gandhi recently toured Gujarat, he had said that those who have one foot in Congress and the other in some other party should be identified and expelled from Congress.
“If we are to win the assembly elections in the coming time, then such staunch Congress persons should be brought forward — those who have remained associated with Congress despite every threat or enticement,” Gogoi said.
“I am fully confident that if we bring forward staunch Congress persons, we will win every assembly election,” he added during the discussion on two resolutions at the session here.
Gogoi also alleged that the BJP runs its organisation like a private limited company, while the Congress functions like a family.
“We are like a family, and therefore I urge state leaders to take care of workers like a family,” he said. (PTI)
