New Delhi, 07 January (H.S.): On Wednesday,Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sharply criticized the Indian government amid escalating trade frictions with the United States, spotlighting former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's resolute defiance against American pressure during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War.The pointed remark from Gandhi emerged against the backdrop of fresh comments by US President Donald Trump, delivered on Tuesday at the House GOP Member Retreat.

Trump asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not that happy with me due to Washington's imposition of tariffs on India's purchases of Russian oil.

In a vivid recounting, Trump described Modi approaching him deferentially: Prime Minister Modi came to see me, 'Sir, may I see you please'. Yes.

Gandhi responded swiftly by sharing an archival video on social media, in which he highlighted Indira Gandhi's unyielding stance in 1971. At that time, as the US dispatched its Seventh Fleet to the Bay of Bengal in support of Pakistan during the Bangladesh liberation struggle, Indira Gandhi refused to bow to Washington's demands.

Gandhi's post implicitly contrasts this historical fortitude with the current administration's handling of Trump's tariff measures, portraying the government's position as one of perceived capitulation.

This exchange amplifies ongoing political discourse in India, where opposition figures frequently invoke the Congress-led era's diplomatic triumphs to question the Bharatiya Janata Party's foreign policy.

As trade negotiations between New Delhi and Washington intensify, Gandhi's intervention seeks to rally public sentiment by drawing parallels between past sovereignty assertions and present-day economic pressures.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar