Shiromani Akali Dal leader Naresh Gujral backs PM Modi on India’s stand amid U.S. tensions

Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Member of Parliament Naresh Gujral on Thursday (August 7, 2025) endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s firm stand on India protecting its national interest amid the strained India–U.S. relations.

Mr. Gujral, son of former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral, also urged all political parties to support the Government of India on this critical issue to ensure that a strong message is conveyed to the international community.

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Notably, the SAD and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had been alliance partners since 1996. However, amid the controversy over the Centre’s contentious agriculture laws — subsequently repealed — the SAD, one of the BJP’s oldest allies, exited the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2020. Mr. Gujral’s latest statement is being closely watched in political circles amid intermittent speculation about the SAD and BJP potentially joining hands again ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.

Pointing out that India-U.S. relations have been strengthening over the past couple of decades under successive governments, Mr. Gujral said, “The recent developments regarding punitive tariffs on our exports to the U.S. have strained our relations considerably. President Donald Trump’s illogical demand that India should stop buying oil or trade with Russia smacks of hypocrisy, particularly when so many other countries like China, the EU and the U.S. itself have been trading with Russia.”

“I am glad that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a very firm stand on the issue and made it absolutely clear that India will protect its national interest and will not allow any other country to interfere in our independent foreign policy,” he added.

Urging all political parties to support the government on the matter, Mr. Gujral said, “That our independent foreign policy will not be compromised irrespective of the price that we have to pay.”

Earlier in the day, Mr. Modi said that India would never compromise on the interests of its farmers, fishermen and dairy sector, even if he had to pay a heavy price.