India should hit back at Trump with 100% tariff on America, says Arvind Kejriwal

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over trade decisions concerning the United States, saying India should respond strongly to American tariff hikes.

"... If US President Donald Trump has imposed a 50% tariff, we should impose a 100% tariff on America..." Kejriwal said at a press conference in Delhi, arguing that the government was failing to protect Indian interests.

Kejriwal accused Prime Minister Modi of betraying farmers by quietly removing import duties on American cotton.


"PM Modi has taken some decisions behind our backs which are a huge betrayal of the farmers of the entire country. Recently, under the pressure of Trump and America, it has been decided that the cotton that comes to India from America, till now, there was an 11% duty on it... In the last few days, the Modi government has decided that the 11% duty that was imposed on the cotton coming from America has been removed. Now, no duty will be imposed on the cotton coming from America from 19 August to 30 September, for 40 days... Now, the cotton that will come or has started coming from America, is roughly cheaper in India than the cotton of Indian farmers by an average of Rs 15-20 per kg..." he said.

The AAP leader demanded that the government immediately reverse the decision.

"We demand from PM Modi that this order of withdrawing 11% import duty on cotton should be withdrawn with immediate effect and the 11% import duty should be imposed again on cotton coming from America and farmers of our country should be saved," Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal calls Trump a ‘coward’, questions PM Modi’s silence

Kejriwal also criticised US President Donald Trump, describing him as weak in the face of global opposition.

"(US President) Trump is a coward. Trump has bowed before countries which have stood firmly against him. I don't know what compulsions PM Modi have that he is not saying anything," he remarked.

The former Delhi chief minister argued that India needed to take a tougher stand against Washington.

"If Trump has imposed 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, we should have imposed 100 per cent tariff on American goods. Are we a weak nation? This is a country of 140 crore people. We have a huge market," he said.

Kejriwal warned that the removal of duties on American cotton would devastate Indian farmers.

“In the past few days, PM Modi has taken some decisions that are very harmful for the farmers of our country and ninety percent of farmers are not even aware, and once these decisions are implemented, they will be left with no option but to commit suicide. Earlier, there was an 11 per cent duty on cotton imported from America, while Indian cotton was cheaper, so farmers here were able to sell. But a few days ago, the Modi government decided to remove that duty, and now, for 40 days, no duty will be imposed on cotton coming from America,” Kejriwal said.

(With inputs from agencies)