NEW DELHI JAN 6 : Former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Friday sparked controversy with a sharp swipe at United States President Donald Trump, asking whether he would “kidnap” India’s Prime Minister amid escalating tensions over trade tariffs and the Venezuela crisis.
Linking Trump’s 50% tariff on Indian exports with the recent CIA-led capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Chavan said the US was using economic tools to virtually block India–US trade and warned that Washington’s aggressive posture could have wider geopolitical implications. “With a 50 percent tariff, trade is simply not possible… Since a direct ban cannot be imposed, tariffs have been used as a tool to stop trade. India will have to bear this,” he said in an interview.
Chavan claimed that New Delhi is now being forced to diversify export markets as profits from access to the US are being squeezed out and asked, “What next? Will something like what happened in Venezuela happen in India? Will Mr Trump kidnap our Prime Minister?” He accused the government of being “so scared of Americans” that it was unwilling to criticise US actions, whether in Venezuela, Ukraine or the Israel–Hamas conflict.
Earlier, Chavan had slammed the Centre for “not taking a stand” after the US operation against Maduro, calling it a violation of the UN Charter and warning that the kidnapping of an elected president “could happen to any other country tomorrow… tomorrow it can happen to India.” He contrasted India’s muted position with what he described as clear criticism from Russia and China.
Meanwhile, the ministry of external affairs reiterated India’s cautious line, saying “recent developments in Venezuela are a matter of deep concern” and that New Delhi is closely monitoring the situation while supporting the safety and well-being of the Venezuelan people. The statement came as Trump again threatened to further raise tariffs on India if it does not “help on Russian oil issue”, directly tying trade pressure to New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian crude during the Ukraine war.
Trump, who has already doubled tariffs on India to 50% and repeatedly criticised its ties with Moscow, suggested Washington could act “very quickly” on duties, even as he described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “a very good man” who wanted to “make me happy” on trade. India is already grappling with the impact of these steep tariffs on its exports, even as the broader diplomatic churn over Russia and global conflicts adds to the strain on bilateral ties.
