NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister and Rajya Sabha MP H. D. Deve Gowda has strongly criticized US President Donald Trump for his recent “baseless and ill‑tempered” remarks about India and its economy.
In a statement shared on social media, Gowda said even “a small trader and a poor farmer in India, who conducts his business with great dignity, integrity and humanity, can teach many lessons to Mr. Trump.”
Gowda accused Trump of being volatile, uncivil, and irresponsible, not just in his approach towards India but also towards allies worldwide. He said Trump’s bullying tactics have failed against India, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for safeguarding national interests and refusing to yield to threats.
Highlighting India’s sovereignty and resilience, Gowda praised the Modi government’s measures to protect Indian agriculture and small and medium‑sized businesses, which support more than half of the population. He expressed confidence that this strong stance would lead to “a national resurgence of an unprecedented scale.”
Rejecting Trump’s claim that India’s economy is “dead,” Gowda pointed out that India remains one of the fastest‑growing economies and the fifth‑largest in the world. He also cautioned opposition leaders against echoing Trump’s statements, warning they risk “ending up in the dustbin of history alongside Mr. Trump.”
Gowda’s remarks come amid heightened political discourse over India’s economic trajectory and its global standing, underscoring the former Prime Minister’s solidarity with the current government’s economic and foreign policy positions.
