"Trump criticises India strongly": Jairam Ramesh takes dig at Centre

New Delhi [India], July 31 (ANI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday took a swipe at the centre, pointing out that US President Donald Trump has "criticised India strongly" and imposed penalties for trading with Russia while announcing a partnership with Pakistan for hydrocarbon exploration and development.
"President Trump criticises India strongly. He imposes penalties on India for trading with Russia. He sanctions Indian companies for trading with Iran," Ramesh, Congress (General Secretary) incharge of Communications, posted on X.
"But just before the Iranian President's visit to Pakistan tomorrow, he announces a big partnership with Pakistan for hydrocarbon exploration and development - alongside a trade deal," he said.
The Congress leader's remarks come immediately after Trump claimed that he did not care about India's dealings with Russia.
Trump further warned that the Deputy Chair of the Security Council of Russia, and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, should watch his words and not enter dangerous territory.
"I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India, their tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world. Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let's keep it that way, and tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he's still President, to watch his words. He's entering very dangerous territory!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Earlier in the day, Ramesh also criticised Prime Minister Modi over a series of recent decisions announced by US President Donald Trump impacting India, and flagged the political challenges arising out of "CAP (China, America and Pakistan)".
He said that both Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom PM Modi has personal friendships, understand that PM Modi can be managed easily by "playing to his gigantic ego and self-obsession".
"Prime Minister Modi once spoke of the TOP (Tomato, Onion, Potato) challenge in prices. Now India has to contend with the political challenge arising out of CAP (China, America, Pakistan). He invested very heavily in his personal friendship with President Trump, as he had done earlier with President Xi. Both have the full measure of the man now--someone who can be managed easily by playing to his gigantic ego and self-obsession," Ramesh, Congress (General Secretary) incharge of Communications, posted on X.
Trump earlier said that Washington is continuing trade negotiations with India.
In response to ANI, if the US remains open to negotiating with India on the tariff front, Trump stated, "We're talking to them now. We'll see what happens. Again, India was the highest or just about the highest tariff nation in the world, one of the highest, 100 points, 150 points or percentages. So India was one of the highest in the world. They had 175 per cent and higher than that." (ANI)