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Shashi Tharoor declined to comment on Rahul Gandhi backing Donald Trump’s “dead economy” jibe towards India, a stance that was criticised by several BJP leaders.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor declined to comment on Rahul Gandhi’s stance on Trump’s ‘dead economy’ stance on India. (File)
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor declined to comment on his party colleague Rahul Gandhi’s endorsement of US President Donald Trump’s “dead economy” jibe towards India amid trade talks, saying the priority was on a fair deal for New Delhi.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Tharoor said, “I don’t want to comment on what my party leader has said. He has his reasons for saying so. My concern is that our relationship with the US, as a strategic and economic partnership, is important for us.”
“We are exporting around $90 billion worth of goods to America. We can’t be in a position to lose that or have it diminish significantly,” he said. “We must wish our negotiators strength to get a fair deal for India.”
#WATCH | Mumbai | On Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi agreeing with US President Donald Trump’s ‘dead economy’ remark, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, “I don’t want to comment on what my party leader has said. He has his reasons for saying so. My concern is that our… pic.twitter.com/zwJm4v4vRV— ANI (@ANI) August 2, 2025
Tharoor also said India should be talking to other regions for exporting Indian goods to make up for some of what it may lose to the United States. “We already have an FTA with the UK, which has tremendous potential. We are well advancing in talks with the EU. If we have a good agreement with the EU, Japan and other countries, we could make up for some of what we might lose in the US, but we cannot lose everything,” he added.
‘Dead Economy’
Tharoor’s remarks came after Donald Trump imposed 25% tariffs on Indian goods, along with an unspecified penalty, citing its refusal to open up agricultural markets and oil imports from Russia, which Washington says is fuelling the Ukraine conflict.
In a harsh statement, Trump later said, “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.”
Rahul Gandhi agreed with Trump’s statement, saying, “Everybody knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy. I am glad that President Trump has stated a fact. The entire world knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy. BJP has finished the economy to help Adani.” His statements drew a fierce response from the BJP, with top leaders accusing him of speaking against the nation.
However, Tharoor disagreed with Trump’s views and said, “No, not at all. That is not the case, and we all know it.” Several Congress and Opposition leaders also did not back Rahul Gandhi’s endorsement of Trump’s views and said that the “Indian economy is not dead”.
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
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