Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday launched a scathing attack on the US, claiming Trump targets the wrong country, after Trump's controversial remark on India, labelling it as a "dead economy". In an interview, the Congress MP slammed the US President for targeting New Delhi with what he called "insulting language" and alleging that India's self-respect is "sacrosanct" and "not up for bargaining."
In an interview with India Today, the Congress leader claimed, he does not believe it was apt for Trump to speak to India this way, regardless of which party pr government holds power - "our self-respect is simply not up for bargaining. As far as the substance is concerned, by all means keep a cool head, try to negotiate over the next three weeks and try to explain to Americans why we have certain red lines".
He added that India's enable to offer flexibility in several areas, as it did during Donald Trump's first term as US President when the country eased import duties on Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Tharoor further claimed Trump's "dead economy" jibe to "a schoolyard bully telling a smaller child that your mother is ugly".
Trump's blistering remarks came amid escalating tensions, with the US imposing steep tariffs on Indian goods and accusing India of maintaining some of the "highest tariffs in the world. On August 6, the US imposed an additional tariff of 25 per cent on India, in connection with the continuous purchase of oil from Russia.
Tharoor further added that the current situation is very concerning for India. He stated that the US had been a strategic partner to India for a long time. Now that, it is changing its behavior, India must hold a thorough discussion regarding the matter to come to a favourable conclusion. "India will also have to look after its interests," Tharoor said.
