‘Will Mr Trump kidnap our Prime Minister?’ Chavan’s stark warning on US-India trade tension

Mumbai: In a remarkable statement that instantly went viral, senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan questioned whether the US could target India in a manner similar to Venezuela, after the Trump administration imposed a 50% tariff on Indian exports. Speaking to news agencies, Chavan said:

“With a 50 percent tariff, trade is simply not possible. In effect, this amounts to blocking India–US trade, especially exports from India to the United States. Since a direct ban cannot be imposed, tariffs have been used as a tool to stop trade. India will have to bear this. The profits that our people earlier earned from exports to the US will no longer be available. We will have to look for alternative markets, and efforts in that direction are already underway. The question then is: what next? Will something like what happened in Venezuela happen in India? Will Mr. Trump kidnap our Prime Minister?”

Chavan drew a parallel between the trade dispute and the recent US-led operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, who was brought to the US to face trial on drug trafficking charges. He said India’s lack of strong diplomatic response raised concerns about how the country would handle similar international pressure.

“Whatever has happened in Venezuela is against the UN Charter. An elected president has been kidnapped. It’s a very grave concern that it could happen to any other country tomorrow. Tomorrow it can happen to India,” Chavan added.

Chavan also criticised the Indian government for not openly challenging the US action, noting that other nations like Russia and China had expressed opposition. He framed the 50% US tariff not only as an economic barrier but as a warning about India’s growing vulnerability in global trade.

Analysts note that the 50% tariff primarily targets India’s oil imports from Russia, with Trump citing India’s role in strengthening Russia during the ongoing Russia–Ukraine conflict. Chavan’s comments, however, brought an unusual angle by combining trade economics with a geopolitical and dramatic “Venezuela scenario” comparison.

BJP leaders responded strongly to Chavan’s remarks, calling it an attempt to create fear and misrepresent India’s international standing. They asserted that India continues to engage with the US diplomatically while diversifying trade markets.