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Trump is right about Indian economy, says Rahul Gandhi

By Our Correspondent 2025-08-01
NEW DELHI: By declaring the Indian economy as dead in the water on Thursday, President Donald Trump has put Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party in a bind. Until recently, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was canvassing support for the US president`s election. Its supporters were holding special prayers and muttering mystical chants for Trump`s victory. There was at least one temple created where a sculptured image of Trump was worshipped.

But Trump has ignored the lavish praise and called out India`s energy imports from Russia and its tariff regime as non-negotiable.The Indian government said it was trying to figure out a response by consulting all the `stakeholders`, a euphemism for angry businesses whose hopes were riding on Mr Modi`s daring ability to play both sides ofthe street.

That appears to have hit a deadend. Encouraging words have come from former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev who poohpoohed Mr Trump`s vitriol and continued to see a world in good cheer despite the US president`s hissed warnings.

On the other hand, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was sanguine that Trump was right at least about the state of the Indian economy.

`He [Trump] is right. Everybody knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy, except the primeminister and the finance minister. I am glad that President Trump has stated a fact.

`The whole world knows India`s economy is a dead economy and the BJP has destroyed the economy.

Why did they destroy it? To help Adani,` said Mr Gandhi while speaking to reporters outside the parliament on Thursday.

Mr Gandhi was carefully silent about India`s Russia ties. The reference to tycoon Gautam Adani seemed more severe as the billionaire businessman close to Mr Modi is facing a corruption case in the US.

Rahul Gandhi`s statement came hours after Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that a 25 per cent tariff, plus a penalty, will be imposed on India starting Aug 1.The Modi government has responded to it saying that it `will take all steps necessary to secure our national interest`.

Later on Wednesday, Trump mounted a sharp attack and said: `I don`t care what India does with Russia.

They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.

Medvedev`s `unmoved` In Moscow, Mr Medvedev responded to Trump`s comments with studied calm, saying they were `nervous reaction` and are evidence that Moscow is pursuing the right path.

The US president had described Medvedev as a `failed` former leader and warned him to `watch his words`, adding that Medvedev was`entering very dangerous territory`.

Medvedev was unmoved. `If some words from the former president of Russia trigger such a nervous reaction from the high-andmighty president of the United States, then Russia is doing everything right and will continue to proceed along its own path,` Medvedev, who currently serves as deputy chairman of Russia`s security council, wrote on social media.

He also ridiculed Trump`s claim that the Russian and Indian economies were `dead` and going `down together` due to lack of cooperation with the US.

Medvedev had earlier dismissed Trump`s demands for Moscow to swiftly end its military campaign against Ukraine, calling the threatsof secondary sanctions against Russian energy customers `theatrical` and inef feetive.

Trump previously criticised the BRICS group of nations, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and several other states, for pursuing a new multipolar world order.

The US president claimed proposed tariffs on countries doing business with BRICS members could cripple the organisation.

Trump`s statement regarding India and Medvedev followed New Delhi`s refusal to accommodate US demands on trade.

Mr Gandhi said that the Modi government had `destroyed India`s economic, defence and foreign policy. They are running this country into the ground`.