Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday welcomed US President Donald Trump’s recent positive remarks on India-US ties but urged caution, saying past insults and economic consequences cannot be overlooked so quickly.
Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s warm response to Trump’s comments, Tharoor said there is still “serious repair work” needed by both governments and diplomats to strengthen bilateral ties.
“The Prime Minister was very quick to respond, and the Foreign Minister has highlighted the importance of our comprehensive global strategic partnership, which remains intact,” Tharoor told ANI. “However, one cannot just forgive and forget so quickly. Real consequences are still being faced by Indians on the ground, and those must be addressed.”
He pointed out that the 50% tariffs imposed by the Trump administration had tangible economic impacts, accompanied by “hurtful” remarks from Trump and his staff. “Mr Trump has a fairly mercurial temperament, and some of his statements caused genuine offence in India,” he added.
Tharoor’s remarks came after Trump called India-US relations “very special” on Friday, assuring that there was “nothing to worry about” and referring to PM Modi as a “friend.” Modi reciprocated warmly, posting on X that he “deeply appreciates” Trump’s sentiments and reaffirming India’s commitment to a “positive and forward-looking” strategic partnership.
Responding to US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s recent remarks about India’s trade with Russia, Tharoor defended India’s stance, saying New Delhi had acted responsibly. “India has behaved with great maturity. In fact, previous American administrations encouraged us to buy Russian oil to help stabilise global prices,” he said.
He noted that countries like China, Turkey, and even European nations conduct more trade with Russia than India does. “It seems bizarre that we are being singled out for allegedly financing the Russian war effort when others are doing far more. This reflects a mistake in American policy, which is neither warranted nor justified,” Tharoor asserted, emphasizing India’s sovereign right to make independent decisions.
Lutnick had earlier said that India would eventually resume talks with Washington in the coming months despite its firm position on continuing oil imports from Russia.
