Tharoor Welcomes US Lawmakers’ Call To Fix India Ties, Urges Greater Diaspora Engagement

Last Updated:October 15, 2025, 07:58 IST

Shashi Tharoor praised US Congress members urging Donald Trump to reset India ties, citing tariff hikes harming relations.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. (PTI file photo)

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has welcomed a bipartisan initiative by a group of Democratic lawmakers urging US President Donald Trump to take immediate steps to “reset and repair" the country’s relationship with India, saying it is a “delightful" and impactful move that could influence Washington’s policy.

“Delighted to see this initiative by ten members of the US Congress. When i questioned the silence of the diaspora, it was to express concern that they were not pressing their political representatives to take a stand like this. If influential American politicians can speak up with or without diaspora pressure, it will surely have some influence on US policy," he said in a post on X.

Tharoor further said that several lawmakers who signed the letter were among the political leaders he met during a multi-party delegation’s visit to Washington as part of Operation Sindoor earlier this year.

“Incidentally, five of the ten signatories here were among the political leaders our multi-party delegation met in Washington this summer!" he added.

His remarks came after a group of Democratic lawmakers urged Trump to “reset and repair" ties with India, warning that his administration’s tariff hikes have damaged one of Washington’s most important strategic partnerships.

In a letter sent to the White House, the lawmakers said that the steep tariffs- which have raised duties on Indian goods to as high as 50 per cent- have hurt American manufacturers, disrupted supply chains and alienated a key ally.

“We write as Members of Congress representing districts with large, vibrant Indian-American communities that maintain strong familial, cultural, and economic ties to India. Recent actions by your administration have strained relations with the world’s largest democracy, creating negative consequences for both countries. We urge you to take immediate steps to reset and repair this critical partnership," they noted.

The lawmakers called on Trump to “review" his tariff policy and continue “dialogue with the Indian leadership," stressing that the path forward “demands recalibration, not confrontation."

The lawmakers also cautioned that the Donald Trump administration’s aggressive trade measures could have strategic repercussions, warning that they have already “pushed the Indian government to increase its diplomatic and economic engagement" with Russia and China.

The letter was co-signed by several prominent Democratic leaders, including Deborah Ross, Ro Khanna, Brad Sherman, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Pramila Jayapal.

Trump levied 25% reciprocal tariff on Indian shipments, along with an additional 25% tariff for New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, taking the total levies imposed on India to 50%. India had strongly condemned the move as “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable," saying that imports are governed by market dynamics and are undertaken with the overarching goal of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion Indian citizens.

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...Read More

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...

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