Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday endorsed U.S. President Donald Trump’s characterization of India as a “dead economy,” accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government of having “finished” India’s economic prospects to benefit billionaire Gautam Adani. Responding to reporters in the Parliament complex, Rahul said, “Everybody knows the Indian economy is a dead economy. I am glad that the US President has stated facts. Why are you asking this question?”
Rahul reiterated, “It is a dead economy, are you not aware of this? The entire world knows that BJP has finished the Indian economy—why? To help Adani.” His remarks came a day after Trump announced a 25% tariff plus penalties on Indian goods from August 1, and posted on Truth Social:
“I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together… We have done very little business with India, their tariffs are too high… Let’s keep it that way.”
The Congress Party seized on Trump’s move to criticize the Modi government’s trade and foreign policies. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge took to X (formerly Twitter) early Thursday, questioning Modi’s silence: “Will Modi ji remain silent on the baseless allegations made by Trump on India? Nation comes first and we are always with the nation.”
Kharge warned that the new tariffs would harm MSMEs, farmers, and many industries, and called out ministers who had spent months negotiating a trade deal in Washington. He noted Trump’s stated reasons—India’s oil and arms imports from Russia, and its BRICS membership—as a blow to India’s long-held doctrine of strategic autonomy and Non-Alignment.
Drawing a contrast with previous governments, Kharge reminded that under the UPA, Dr. Manmohan Singh had secured a nuclear waiver from 45 countries—including the U.S.—without binding India to American suppliers, preserving India’s freedom of choice. “Your government’s foreign policy has dealt a severe blow to that National Policy,” Kharge stated, adding that Modi’s “silence” in the face of Trump’s threats was “worrying.”
