Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy, claiming that Modi’s close friendship with former US President Donald Trump has backfired.
Ramesh said Modi once talked about tackling the “TOP” challenge—Tomato, Onion, Potato prices. “Now, India is facing a CAP challenge—China, America, Pakistan,” he said.
He accused the PM of placing too much trust in Trump, just like he did earlier with China’s President Xi Jinping. “Both leaders have figured Modi out—he can be easily handled by flattering his ego,” Ramesh alleged.
Referring to Trump’s recent comments and actions, Ramesh pointed out that Trump has claimed—over 30 times since May 10—that he personally stopped “Operation Sindoor,” a move he says targeted India. “These statements were made across four countries,” Ramesh noted.
He further claimed that Trump even hosted Pakistan’s Army Chief and a key planner of the Pahalgam terror attacks at the White House on June 18.
“And on July 30, Trump slapped a 25% tariff on Indian imports to the US, penalised India for buying oil and defence equipment from Russia, and sanctioned six Indian companies for doing business with Iran,” said Ramesh.
He also criticized the US’s recent decision to assist Pakistan in exploring oil and gas reserves, along with backing Pakistan’s funding support from the World Bank and IMF.
“These moves show how Modi’s personal diplomacy has hurt India’s interests,” Ramesh said, concluding his sharp critique.