'They fear what will happen to them if India grows strong': RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on US tariffs on India

Mohan Bhagwat

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday said that the United States has imposed tariffs on India because they are afraid of what will happen to them if India grows strong.

“Such measures are the result of a self-centred approach,” he said without naming the country. "If there is no enmity within us, then no one is our enemy. Earlier, we used to fear snakes. Then, when we gained knowledge, we realised that not all snakes are poisonous. So we started leaving the snakes alone. Due to knowledge, fear and discrimination were destroyed," Bhagwat said at a Brahmakumari event in Nagpur.

"What will happen if India grows? So impose tariffs. Why do this? You are across seven seas. But because of the 'me and mine' thing, you are afraid... The world needs a solution today. They tried to find a solution on the basis of an incomplete vision, and the solution was not found," he further said, as reported by NDTV.

Meanwhile, three days ago, China's Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, criticised the United States for using tariffs as a trade weapon, calling the 50 per cent tariff on India "unfair, unreasonable". He also stated that China firmly opposes it.

Feihong was speaking at a seminar commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, Xu said, "The United States has long benefited from free trade. But now it is using tariffs as a weapon to demand exorbitant prices... The 50% tariff on India is unfair, unreasonable, and China firmly opposes it..."