Sun Aug 03 06:04:33 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

This news article from The Hindu reports on a disagreement within the Indian Congress party regarding the state of the Indian economy. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi endorsed U.S. President Donald Trump’s assessment that the Indian economy is “dead,” while fellow Congress MP Shashi Tharoor refrained from commenting directly on Gandhi’s statement. Tharoor emphasized the importance of the strategic and economic relationship between India and the U.S. and stressed the need for India to diversify its export markets. The article also mentions President Trump’s recent announcement of tariffs against India and threats of further penalties.

**News Article:**

**Congress Divided as Rahul Gandhi Echoes Trump’s “Dead Economy” Claim**

*Mumbai, August 3, 2025* – A fissure has emerged within the Indian National Congress party following Rahul Gandhi’s endorsement of U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial assertion that the Indian economy is “dead.” The statement comes amid rising trade tensions between the two nations, with President Trump recently imposing tariffs on Indian goods and threatening further action related to oil imports from Russia.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, July 31, Mr. Gandhi stated, “Yes, he is right… The entire world knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy. BJP has finished the economy to help Adani.”

However, fellow Congress MP Shashi Tharoor declined to comment directly on Mr. Gandhi’s remarks. Speaking on Saturday, August 2, Tharoor said that Mr. Gandhi had his reasons for saying so. Tharoor instead focused on the critical importance of the India-U.S. economic partnership. “My concern is that our relationship with the U.S., as a strategic and economic partnership, is important for us,” he explained. “We are exporting around 90 billion worth of goods to America. We can’t be in a position to lose that or have it diminish significantly.”

Tharoor urged support for Indian trade negotiators in securing a fair deal with the U.S. and emphasized the need for India to diversify its export markets to mitigate potential losses. He stressed that India should explore other regions for exporting goods to compensate for possible reductions in exports to the US, given that the US is threatening further penalties for oil imports from Russia.

The contrasting views within the Congress party highlight the growing debate over the health of the Indian economy, particularly in the face of escalating protectionist measures from the U.S.

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