- Shashi Tharoor said, "Better to be recalcitrant, than to be tractable, submissive or acquiescent in injustice"
- Scott Bessent described India as recalcitrant in US-India trade negotiations during a Fox Business interview
- US imposed secondary tariffs on Indian goods due to India's purchase of Russian oil
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday hit back at US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's, after he said that India has been a "bit recalcitrant" on trade negotiations with the US.
Responding through a post on X, Mr Tharoor said, "I hear some people are accusing India of being 'recalcitrant'. I say, far better to be recalcitrant, than to be tractable, submissive or acquiescent in injustice."
Mr Bessent while speaking to Fox Business on Tuesday, responded to a question on wrapping up all the tariffs and trade deals by the end of October. He said, "But I think we are in a good position. The big trade deals that aren't done or aren't agreed - Switzerland is still around, India has been a bit recalcitrant."
The US Treasury Secretary admitted that although the deadline to close trade deals was "aspirational", the teams led by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer have been working to finalise the deals. He also said that they have agreed on substantial terms with all the substantial countries.
On Wednesday, Mr Bessent in an interview with Bloomberg TV said, "We've put secondary tariffs on Indians for buying Russian oil. And I could see, if things don't go well, then sanctions or secondary tariffs could go up."
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump ordered steeper tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil, opening a new front in his trade wars.
In a calm pushback, New Delhi said the extra tariff was "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable" and declared that it would "take all actions necessary to protect national interests".
