In a sharply worded open letter that’s stirring headlines and sparking debate, Aam Aadmi Party MP Ashok Kumar Mittal has taken direct aim at US President Donald Trump over Washington’s latest trade move against India. Responding to the sudden hike in tariffs on Indian imports, Mittal accused the US of hypocrisy and warned of the economic fallout if India were to hit back.
Framing his letter as a call for dialogue—not discord—Mittal posed a searing question on X (formerly Twitter): “What if 146 crore Indians boycott American companies operating in India?” His message landed like a thunderclap in the growing storm of geopolitical tension between the two nations.
Accusations of Hypocrisy Over Russian Trade
Mittal’s strongly worded letter took aim at what he labeled as hypocrisy in US foreign trade policy. He referenced Europe’s €67.5 billion trade with Russia last year—highlighting record levels of LNG imports—while accusing the US itself of continuing to import strategic resources like uranium and palladium from Moscow.
This fiery letter comes just one day after the Trump administration announced an additional 25% tariff on Indian imports, citing India's continued energy ties with Russia. The new tariffs have doubled the duty rate to 50%, igniting widespread backlash across India’s political and economic circles.
"Deeply Disappointing," Says Mittal
Describing the tariff hike as “deeply disappointing,” Mittal reminded Trump of the historically strong relationship between the world’s two largest democracies. He pushed back against Trump’s recent jab, in which the former president reportedly called India a “dead economy.”
“Yet this ‘dead’ economy,” Mittal countered, “is the fourth largest in the world, soon to be third, and the fastest-growing among all major nations.”
A Warning and a History Lesson
Mittal’s letter also highlighted the mutual economic interdependence between India and the US He noted that American businesses earn more than $80 billion annually from Indian markets—spanning sectors like tech, finance, aviation, and education. India, he added, is also the world’s third-largest air transport market and a key player in the global digital landscape.
He questioned the moral ground of pressuring India over its Russian oil imports, especially when the US continues its own trade with Russia for domestic needs. “Should a nation pressurise India against trade with Russia when it itself relies on the Kremlin for its domestic interests?” he asked.
Drawing on India’s colonial past, Mittal evoked the spirit of the Swadeshi Movement, which was launched on August 7, 1905, to promote self-reliance and economic resistance. He warned that if India were to embrace a similar stance today and restrict American businesses, the consequences for the US could be far more significant than anticipated.
A Call for Mutual Respect
Ending his letter on a diplomatic yet firm note, Mittal urged a return to shared values and dialogue.
“Let us choose dialogue over discord, coordination over coercion,” he wrote. “Let us shape the future through respect, resolve, and renewed commitment to a rules-based global order.”