Trump tariffs a "tribute to India's strategic exceptionalism": Manish Tewari

New Delhi [India], July 30 : Following US President Donald Trump's announcement of a 25 per cent tariff and additional penalty on India, Congress MP Manish Tewari on Wednesday said that the move is perhaps the biggest tribute to Indian strategic exceptionalism.
Tewari described Trump's remarks as an unexpected acknowledgement of India's long-standing foreign policy principles, which date back to the country's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
In a post on X, Tewari said, "Donald Trump has perhaps given the biggest tribute to Indian strategic exceptionalism and strategic autonomy now stretching back to 1947."
"The Policy of Non alignment that was put in place by India's first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru now called multi alignment and self reliance put in place by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi now called Atam Nirbhar Bharat are the strategic continuums that provides the Indian state with the flexibility to engage with the world on its own terms and in its best national interest," he added.
Responding to Trump's threat of imposing tariffs if re-elected, Tewari said, "Would Donald Trump's Tariff threat make any difference to the strategic autonomy that we have built up over the decades and across different dispensations and administrations - NOT REALLY."
"Would it damage the larger fabric of the Indo-US engagement - PERHAPS!" he added.
Earlier in the day, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also said all the praise by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has meant little and he should "stand up to the US President."
"President Trump has slapped a tariff of 25% plus penalty on imports from India. All that taarif between him and Howdy Modi has meant little," the Congress leader posted on X.
"Mr. Modi thought that if he kept quiet on the insults that the US President has hurled on India -- the 30 claims of stopping Op Sindoor, the special lunch for the Pakistan Army Chief whose inflammatory remarks provided the immediate backdrop to the brutal Pahalgam terror attacks, and US support for financial packages to Pakistan from the IMF and the World Bank --- India would get special treatment at the hands of President Trump. Clearly that has NOT happened," he added.
US President Trump today, in a social media post on his Truth Social Account, announced 25 per cent tariffs on India starting August 1.
Trump also said India will face additional penalties for purchasing oil from Russia.
"Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country. Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia's largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE - ALL THINGS NOT GOOD! INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST 1st. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. MAGA!", Trump posted.