Congress MP Manish Tewari Calls India’s Alleged Concession on Tariffs ‘Unfortunate,’ Vows to Raise Issue in Parliament
Chandigarh, March 8: Congress MP Manish Tewari has strongly criticized the Indian government over reports that India has agreed to reduce tariffs under pressure from the United States. Calling the move “unfortunate” and a poor trade policy, Tewari emphasized that India has a long-standing tradition of not succumbing to foreign pressure.
His remarks come after U.S. President Donald Trump declared in a nationally televised address that India has agreed to slash its tariffs significantly following persistent criticism from his administration regarding India’s “high tariff” trade regime.
“India Should Not Kneel Under Pressure”
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Tewari expressed disappointment over the Indian government’s stance, stating that if the reports are true, the decision weakens India’s global trade position.
“President Donald Trump has repeatedly vilified India, calling it a serial tariff abuser. He even mentioned India multiple times during his State of the Union address. If it is true that India has now decided to reduce tariffs under U.S. pressure, it is extremely unfortunate. India has a history and a tradition of never buckling under any pressure from any country. This does not make for good trade policy, strategic policy, or foreign policy,” Tewari said.
He further suggested that India should have opted for “reciprocal tariffs” instead of giving in to U.S. demands.
“It is much better to accept reciprocal tariffs than kneel in the manner President Trump is suggesting,” he added.
Congress to Raise Issue in Parliament
Tewari also assured that the Congress party would bring up this matter in the next parliamentary session, holding the BJP-led NDA government accountable for its handling of trade negotiations.
“If the government is indeed rationalizing tariffs under pressure from the U.S., there cannot be anything more unfortunate. This issue will be strongly raised in Parliament,” he asserted.
Trump’s Accusations and Tariff Policy Shift
In his speech, President Trump attacked India’s trade policies, claiming that selling goods to India is nearly impossible due to “massive tariffs”.
“India charges us massive tariffs. You can’t even sell anything in India…They have now agreed to cut their tariffs way down because somebody is finally exposing them for what they have done,” Trump stated.
The U.S. is preparing to introduce reciprocal tariffs on countries with high import levies on American goods, with the new policy set to take effect on April 2.
Trump has repeatedly stated that the U.S. will no longer tolerate unfair trade practices, particularly from nations like India, China, Canada, and the European Union.
The Road Ahead
With India allegedly agreeing to lower its tariffs, the move could have far-reaching consequences on trade relations between the two countries. While the Indian government has yet to confirm Trump’s claims, the Congress party is gearing up for a heated debate on the matter in Parliament.
Tags: India-US relations, trade war, tariffs, Manish Tewari, Donald Trump, international trade, economic policy, Congress vs BJP, reciprocal tariffs