Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday, questioned the foreign policy of the BJP-led government at the Centre in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s announcement of 26 per cent reciprocal tariffs on India, and normalisation of ties with China despite the fact that the neighbouring country is “occupying” Indian territory.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, the Congress leader demanded an answer to both these pressing questions of national importance from the government.

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Notably, Trump, on Wednesday, announced the 26 per cent reciprocal tariffs on India, half the rate India imposes on imports of US goods. Additionally, the US president announced a 25 per cent tariff on all automobile imports.

Rahul Gandhi contended that the 25 per cent tariff would devastate India’s economy. “Our ally has suddenly decided to impose a 26 per cent tariff, which will devastate our economy. Our auto industry, pharmaceutical industry, and agriculture are all in line,” he said in the House.

Cornering the government on India’s relations with China, the leader of the Opposition categorically said his party is not against normalcy, but before that, India should get its land occupied by China back.

Citing the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and China, Gandhi said, “It’s a known fact that China is occupying 4,000 kilometers of our territory. I was shocked some time back to see our foreign secretary cutting a cake with the Chinese ambassador. Our 20 soldiers were martyred and we are cutting a cake with them. The question is what exactly is happening to this territory?.”

“It has also come to my notice that the Prime Minister and the President have written to the Chinese. It is the Chinese ambassador who is informing us about this, not our own people. Foreign policy is about managing external relations; you have given China 4,000 kilometers of land. We are not against normalcy, but before that we should get our land back,” he said.

Taking a dig at the BJP and RSS, the leader of the Opposition said, “Someone once asked Indira Gandhi ji in the matter of foreign policy that does she lean left or right? She answered that she is an Indian and she stands straight. The BJP and RSS have a different philosophy, when asked to lean right or left, they say they bow their heads to every foreigner that comes. This is part of their culture and history.”

 Earlier in the day, echoing similar sentiments on the 26 per cent reciprocal tariffs, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, while taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said Trump is a businessman and “our customer” is trapped. “The kind of friendship Narendra Modi has with Trump – the hugging, laughing, and giving the ‘Fir Ek Bar Trump Sarkar’ slogan… Now, the US imposition of tariffs shows that Trump is a businessman and our customer is trapped…,” he told reporters on the premises of Parliament.