Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to use US President Donald Trump’s comment on India's economy calling it “dead” to criticise the Modi government has backfired. Many of his own party colleagues and allied leaders have taken a different stance, defending India’s economic strength.

After Trump said, “They can take their dead economies down together,” referring to India and Russia, Rahul Gandhi publicly agreed with the US president. He told reporters in Parliament, “He is right; everybody knows this except the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. I am glad that President Trump has stated a fact.” Gandhi blamed policies like demonetisation and a “flawed” GST, arguing that initiatives like “Assemble in India” have failed, and MSMEs and farmers have suffered.

However, other senior Congress figures strongly rejected this view:

  • Shashi Tharoor, MP from Thiruvananthapuram, described trade talks with the US as “challenging” and emphasized India’s ability to diversify. He said, “If we can’t compete in America, we may have to diversify our markets outside of America.” He urged supporting negotiators for the best possible deals and noted India’s strong domestic market and resilience.
  • Rajiv Shukla, Rajya Sabha MP, called Trump’s remark “completely wrong” and said the claim reflects a misunderstanding. He dismissed concerns over India’s dealings with Russia and the oil deal with Pakistan as irrelevant. Shukla told ANI, "No country can dictate who we can or cannot do business with.”
  • Priyanka Chaturvedi, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, stressed India’s position among the top five world economies, saying, “Calling it a dead economy can only come from a position of arrogance or ignorance.” She reminded readers that while per capita income needs work, India is not “dead” and described Trump’s statement as a negotiation tactic.

BJP hits back at Rahul Gandhi

The BJP responded sharply to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks. Senior party leader Amit Malviya called Gandhi’s echo of Trump’s comment a “shameful insult to the aspirations, achievements, and well‑being of the Indian people.” He added, “The only thing truly ‘dead’ here is Rahul Gandhi’s own political credibility and legacy. Even amidst global slowdown, India remains the world's fastest‑growing major economy…”

Annamalai, another BJP leader, compared Gandhi unfavourably with Shashi Tharoor: “One spoke for India's interest, and the other spoke in a tone that would please his offshore masters.” He added that when global voices hail India as a bright spot, Rahul Gandhi instead echoes foreign claims that undermine its progress.

Trump’s tariffs and economics clash

The controversy started when Trump announced 25 percent tariffs on imports from India. He followed with his statement: "I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together… We have done very little business with India… their tariffs are too high.” He portrayed India and Russia as having weak economies that don’t benefit the US.

Rahul Gandhi seized this moment to attack the Modi government, saying it validated his criticism of the economy’s condition. However, his fellow Congress leaders viewed the remark differently, not as substantiated criticism, but as overstated rhetoric.

Diverse views signal conference divide

Rahul Gandhi’s comments and the harsh response from his party’s own ranks highlight internal differences in the Congress on how to respond to foreign criticism of India. While Gandhi saw an opportunity to critique the government, others emphasized India’s global economic stature and independence.

Altogether, the episode shows a clash between using Trump’s words as political ammunition versus rejecting a foreign leader’s narrative that appears to demean India. As the debate continues, India’s economic fundamentals remain the point of dispute not just with Trump, but also within the political parties themselves.

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