New Delhi: A political storm erupted on Wednesday after the United States announced steep additional tariffs on India for continuing oil imports from Russia. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi came out strongly against the U.S. move, terming it "economic blackmail" and accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of compromising India’s interests due to his diplomatic weakness.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the Modi government for what he described as a failure to protect the economic sovereignty of the country. "America is doing economic blackmail on India. Modi's diplomatic failure and silence cannot be allowed to undermine the livelihoods of Indian citizens," he posted.
Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor joined the criticism, accusing the United States of applying double standards. "The U.S. imports uranium and palladium from Russia. China buys more Russian oil than we do, yet they get a 90-day grace period. But India faces immediate penalties. This is not what friends do," Tharoor said in a pointed media interaction. He emphasized the need for India to diversify its global trade partnerships in light of recent developments.
Kerala Education Minister V. Sivankutty also took a dig at Modi with a sarcastic Facebook post titled ‘My Friend’, recalling the Indian Prime Minister's often-quoted phrase about U.S. President Donald Trump. The post mocked Modi’s close rhetoric, juxtaposed with Trump’s aggressive tariff decision.
The White House move, spearheaded by Trump through a fresh executive order, imposes an additional 25% countervailing duty on Indian imports, raising the total to a steep 50%. Trump’s order cited India’s continued purchase of Russian oil “directly or indirectly” as the justification. The tariffs will take effect within 21 days.
Trump signaled that the punitive action could be reversed only if India stops importing Russian oil. “India has never been a good trading partner. They buy oil from Russia, so we’re increasing the tariffs significantly,” he said in a fiery interview with CNBC.
India is now facing the highest U.S. import duty rate among Asian countries. While Pakistan was hit with a 19% tariff, India received the maximum 50%, sending strong diplomatic ripples across the Indo-Pacific.
With pressure mounting, the Congress has demanded an official statement from the Prime Minister. However, the central government has so far remained cautious. Sources indicated that backchannel discussions are ongoing, and a U.S. trade delegation is scheduled to visit New Delhi on the 25th of this month to resume talks.
The Ministry of External Affairs reiterated that "India’s national interest remains paramount" and emphasized that dialogue will continue to resolve the trade dispute. Nonetheless, the controversy has triggered intense debate over India’s foreign policy strategy and its vulnerability in a rapidly shifting geopolitical trade environment.