In the wake of a renewed diplomatic warmth between India and the United States, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has voiced a measured response, urging both caution and accountability in assessing the evolving ties. His comments follow Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s quick and cordial response to US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks hailing the India-US relationship.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has voiced a measured response, urging both caution and accountability in assessing the evolving ties. His comments follow Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s quick and cordial response to US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks hailing the India-US relationship, as reported by NDTV.
“The Prime Minister was very quick to respond, and the Foreign Minister has also underscored the importance of the basic relationship that is a comprehensive global strategic partnership, which is still there. And that message is an important message for us to give… I think there’s some serious repair work that needs to be done by governments and diplomats on both sides. I would welcome this new tone with a spirit of caution. One can’t just forget and forgive so quickly because there are real consequences that Indians are facing on the ground, and those consequences need to be overcome…,” Shashi Tharoor told ANI.
Tharoor further referred to the trade policies of the Trump government and said that the high tariffs imposed by the US have directly affected Indians, which cannot be ignored.
“I don’t think we can just completely forget either the 50 per cent tariffs or the insults that have accompanied it from both the President and his staff…. Trump has a fairly mercurial temperament, and what he has been saying has caused some hurt and offence in our country. The 50 per cent tariffs have actually had consequences already…” he added.
Recently, President Trump had described the India-US relationship as a “very special relationship” and said that there was “nothing to worry about” in it and also said that he and Prime Minister Modi will always remain friends. In response to this, PM Modi wrote on Twitter:
“Deeply appreciate and fully reciprocate President Trump’s sentiments and positive assessment of our ties. India and the US have a very positive and forward-looking Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership.”
At the same time, on the comment made by US Commerce Secretary Howard Latnik regarding India-Russia trade, Tharoor strongly supported India’s position and underlined India’s diplomatic maturity.
“I don’t think we have anything to say sorry about at all. India has behaved with a great deal of maturity on all of this,” Mr Tharoor said.
Tharoor said buying oil from Russia was India’s independent decision and it was done with the consent of previous American administrations, so that global oil prices could be balanced.
“Also, don’t forget that trade with Russia and oil was actually blessed by previous American administrations; they requested us to buy some Russian oil to stabilise global oil prices. Secondly, China buys more Russian oil and gas than we do. Turkey buys more Russian oil and gas than we do. Europe doesn’t buy oil and gas, but they buy other Russian items, so they’re putting more billions of dollars into Russia’s kitty than we do,” Mr Tharoor stated.
He stressed that India is a sovereign country and has every right to take its own decisions. At the same time, he questioned US policy, saying India was being unnecessarily targeted.
“It seems bizarre that we are alone being singled out for allegedly financing the Russian war effort when others are doing far more than we are. So I think there has been a certain mistake made in American policy against India, which is not warranted or justified. I do not think India has anything to say sorry for. I think Mr Lutnick has to understand that we are a sovereign nation, just as they are. They can take their own sovereign decisions, we will take our own sovereign decisions,” he added.
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