Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday sparked a new controversy (PHOTO: X)
Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan landed himself in the middle of a social media storm after wondering out loud if what happened in Venezuela could happen in India. People online wasted no time roasting him, turning his question into a punchline.
Chavan was talking about the US military’s late-night move in Venezuela that led to President Nicolas Maduro’s capture. He asked, almost incredulously, “Will something like that happen in India? Will Mr. Trump kidnap our prime minister?”
Social media didn’t take him seriously. Instead, they mocked him, calling the question “brain dead,” “illiterate,” “foolish” and worse. Many couldn’t believe someone would compare Venezuela’s situation to India, especially since India is a nuclear power.
SP Vaid, the former top cop from Jammu and Kashmir, didn’t hold back either. He said Chavan’s comments were embarrassing—not just for Chavan, but for the whole country. “At least think before you speak, Prithviraj Chavan,” Vaid said. “Or is this what Congress really stands for now?”
BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari took to X to give it back to Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on his controversial remarks. “CONGRESS SINKS TO NEW LOW EVERYDAY. Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan shamelessly comparing India’s situation with Venezuela,” he said on X, adding, “By asking whether ‘what happened in Venezuela can happen in India’, Congress is making its anti-India mindset clear. Rahul Gandhi wants chaos in Bharat. Rahul Gandhi is seeking foreign intervention in Bharat’s affairs!”
Chavan, who’s been chief minister of Maharashtra and a Union minister, was actually following up on Kharge’s attack on Prime Minister Modi over the US imposing steep tariffs on Indian goods.
“With a 50 percent tariff, trade just doesn’t work. The US is blocking Indian exports without outright banning them. India’s going to have to deal with this,” Chavan said, ramping up his criticism.
He added, “The profits our exporters made from the US market are gone. We need new markets, and we’re already looking.” Then he tossed out his Venezuela question: What if Trump did to India what he did to Venezuela?
The timing was no accident. This all happened right after Kharge took shots at Modi over something Trump said about India buying Russian oil. Trump had claimed India cut back on Russian oil imports after the US hit India with tariffs last year—something Congress picked up on.
Kharge pointed to an audio clip where Trump said, “Modi wanted to make me happy.” He didn’t miss the chance to compare it to a classic movie line: “Mogambo Khush Hua.”
According to Kharge, it sounded like Modi was just trying to please Trump, and he wondered if that meant Modi was really in control.
Meanwhile, despite all the noise about tariffs, India’s exports to the US actually jumped 22.6 percent in November, hitting $6.98 billion.
For the April to November stretch, exports climbed 11.4 percent to just over $59 billion, with imports rising too. So, while politicians kept trading barbs, business between India and the US kept moving.
Chavan’s no stranger to controversy. The former Maharashtra chief minister stirred things up before, too, when he made bold claims about Operation Sindoor. He said India faced a setback right on the first day of the military operation against Pakistan in May.
Back then, people called for an apology, but Chavan stood his ground. He made it clear he wasn’t sorry, saying, “I will not say sorry… haven’t said anything wrong and have nothing to apologise for.”
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