He has his reasons for saying so..., says Shashi Tharoor on Rahul Gandhi's 'dead economy' remark

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday avoided directly criticizing party colleague Rahul Gandhi for his public backing of former U.S. President Donald Trump's divisive characterization of India's economy as "dead." Tharoor implied that the Gandhi might have had personal motives in making such a remark but stressed the need to protect India's economic and strategic relationship with the United States.

I do not want to react to what my party chief has stated. He has his reasons for speaking like that," Tharoor responded to the media. "My worry is that our friendship with the US, as a strategic and economic alliance, is essential to us. We are sending some 90 billion worth of products to America. We cannot be placed to lose that or see it significantly reduce.

He also commented on the necessity of good diplomacy: "We need to wish strength to our negotiators to secure a reasonable deal for India. We should also be negotiating with other regions to export our products. Then we could compensate for some of what we could lose in the US. We have to stand with our negotiators."

Tharoor’s comments followed Rahul Gandhi’s pointed reaction to Trump’s remarks earlier this week. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Gandhi agreed with Trump’s criticism and accused the BJP government of damaging the Indian economy.

"Yes, he is correct. Everyone is aware of this except the Prime Minister and Finance Minister. Everyone is aware that the Indian economy is a dead economy. I am happy that President Trump has announced a fact. The whole world is aware that the Indian economy is a dead economy. BJP has killed the economy to benefit Adani," said Gandhi.

The drama flared up after Trump wrote on his social media site Truth Social, indicating a 25 per cent duty on Indian imports and warning of additional "penalty" actions due to India's continued buying of oil from Russia. His remarks, calling India's economy "dead," have raised widespread criticism and alarm, especially since the two countries are increasingly becoming economically closer.

While Gandhi seized the opportunity to decry the government's economic management, Tharoor's more measured approach indicates contrasting strategic priorities within the Congress party—especially toward India's vital trade relationship with the U.S.