Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang accused the United States of attempting to “bully India” by slapping a 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports, and urged citizens to rally behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “vocal for local” campaign to strengthen domestic industries.
Speaking to reporters after offering prayers at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, Tamang said, “America is trying to bully India. PM Narendra Modi has said that we will not come under any pressure and work for the welfare of our people. The call to go ‘vocal for local’ must be followed.” He added that his temple visit was a long-pending wish and prayed for the well-being of the people of Sikkim and India.
His remarks came amid growing trade tensions after Washington enforced steep tariffs on Indian goods. Peter Navarro, Senior Counsellor for Trade and Manufacturing at the White House, defended the move, alleging that India’s growing oil trade with Russia was helping Moscow bypass sanctions.
Navarro accused Indian refiners of turning the country into “a massive refining hub and oil money laundromat for the Kremlin,” even as critics noted his silence on China’s far larger Russian oil imports.