Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday criticised those opposing India’s rapid economic progress, indirectly referring to US President Donald Trump’s recent tariff hike on Indian goods. Without naming Trump, Singh said, “Some ‘boss’ is jealous, unable to accept India’s growth, trying to disrupt the country’s economy. There are people who are not happy with the speed at which India is developing.
They are trying to make goods made in India costlier than their own products so that the world won’t buy them.” His remarks came during a public address highlighting India’s economic and defence achievements.
‘No Power Can Stop India’s Rise’
Rajnath Singh asserted that such measures will not succeed in slowing down the country’s progress. He stated, “India is progressing so fast, I say with full confidence that now no power in the world can stop India from becoming a big power of the world.” Singh highlighted India’s growing defence sector, saying, “We are exporting defence items worth more than ₹24,000 crore. This is the strength of India, this is the new defence sector of the new India, and exports are continuously increasing.” He emphasised that the country’s defence industry has become a significant contributor to national growth.
Tariff Dispute Between India and US Escalates
The Defence Minister’s comments came days after Donald Trump signed an executive order doubling tariffs on Indian goods from 25% to 50%. The US administration cited India’s continued purchase of Russian oil as the reason for the move. India condemned the tariff hike as “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.” Speaking to CNBC earlier, Trump said he plans to “substantially raise” tariffs, accusing India of not being a good trading partner. The move has sparked fresh concerns over trade relations between the two countries, which have already seen tensions over previous tariff and market access disputes.
Must Read: Our Technology Helped Win Operation Sindoor’: PM Modi In Bengaluru
