'Trump a businessman, aur humara customer fhas gaya': On US tariffs, Mallikarjun Kharge quips at PM Modi
Leading the opposition charge over the tariff imposed by the US on India, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said the country got "trapped" by "businessman" Donald Trump despite his public display of bonhomie with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
FollowCongress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said that his party will discuss the US administration's imposition of a 26 percent "reciprocal tariff" on India and release a detailed statement. According to sources, the Congress party is set to raise the issue during Question Hour in Lok Sabha.
"It doesn't seem right to give a byte on this issue. Our party will release a detailed statement on it," Kharge said outside Parliament today.
"... The friendship between them (US President Trump and PM Modi) and the way they embrace each other and talk and now these tarriffs. It shows that America (Donald Trump) is a businessman. 'Aur wo humara customer fhas gaya'. (And our customers are getting trapped)."
Congress MP Rajeev Shukla said that the tariffs are "extremely detrimental" to our trade and urged the government to raise the issue.
"It will be extremely detrimental to our trade. The Indian government should raise this issue with the US government immediately," Shukla said.
Trump announces reciprocal tariffs
Trump on Wednesday (local US time) announced reciprocal tariffs on several countries, including India during a 'Make America Wealthy Again' Event in Washington.
Calling these tariffs "discounted reciprocal tariffs," Trump said that India charges the US 52 per cent. "India very, very tough. The Prime Minister just left and is a great friend of mine, but you are not treating us right. They charge us 52 per cent and we charge them almost nothing..." the US President said at the event.
The import tariffs imposed by the US on other major countries are China (34 per cent), European Union (20 per cent), Vietnam (46 per cent), Taiwan (32 per cent), Japan (24 per cent), United Kingdom (10 per cent), Bangladesh (37 per cent), Pakistan (29 per cent), Sri Lanka (44 per cent), Israel (17 per cent).
At the event, Trump also emphasised that after decades of exploitation, the era of American taxpayers being "ripped off" was over. The US President said, "Our country and its taxpayers have been ripped off for more than 50 years, but it is not going to happen anymore."
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