‘From non-aligned to all aligned’: BJP reaffirms Modi’s global outreach, plays down Trump’s tariff threats
The BJP on Thursday reaffirmed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s handling of international relations amid tariff threats from US President Donald Trump, saying the government remains firmly committed to protecting India’s military, diplomatic, and economic interests.
Addressing a press conference here, party’s spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi downplayed Trump’s warning of imposing extra tariffs on BRICS nations, terming it an “internal matter of the US”.
He said India is engaged in discussions with Washington over a possible trade agreement. “People have complete faith that every Indian interest under every circumstance is fully protected under Modi’s leadership,” Trivedi asserted.
He said that under Modi’s leadership, India had risen from being the “weakest” member of BRICS under the UPA regime to its “brightest” representative today. There used to be a time when India was considered as non-aligned, now we are all-aligned. This is why India is the only country in the world that is a member of both BRICS and QUAD,” he said.
Highlighting key outcomes of Modi’s recent five-nation tour — covering Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia — Trivedi said the visit marked a new era in India’s global standing.
He added India helped forge a united front against terrorism at the BRICS summit, strengthened ties with its diaspora, and signed critical agreements with Ghana and Namibia to source rare earth and strategic minerals — crucial for India’s growing economy and aimed at reducing dependence on China.
The BJP leader also pointed out that the PM has been conferred with the highest civilian honours by 27 countries and has addressed 17 national parliaments — calling it a recognition of India’s emerging global power. Drawing on Hindu tradition, Trivedi likened the 27 honours to the 27 “nakshatras,” saying they reflected India’s growing stature on the world stage.
Domestically, Trivedi took aim at the Congress, accusing it of harbouring the same mindset that led to the Emergency in 1975. Reacting to Rahul Gandhi’s protest in Bihar against the Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, Trivedi said his remarks suggest the Congress only respects constitutional institutions when the party wins.
He also defended Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s criticism of the Emergency, noting the backlash he received from within his party shows the Congress remains unapologetic for past excesses. “Generations have changed, but not the mindset,” Trivedi remarked.
India