“America is trying to bully India”: Sikkim CM urges support for Modi's ‘vocal for local’

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on August 29 accused the United States of trying to “bully India” by imposing a 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports. He called on citizens to back Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “vocal for local” initiative as a way to strengthen the domestic industry.

“America is trying to bully India. PM Narendra Modi has said that we will not come under any pressure and work for the welfare of our people. The call given by the Prime Minister to go ‘vocal for local’ shall be followed,” Tamang told reporters after offering prayers at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha.

The chief minister said his visit to the temple was a long-pending wish. “I have been able to come here after many years and offer prayers. I prayed for the Lord to bless the people of Sikkim and the country. I want to thank the administration and temple trust,” he added.

The remarks came amid escalating trade tensions after Washington announced steep tariffs on Indian goods. Peter Navarro, Senior Counsellor for Trade and Manufacturing at the White House and a key figure behind the tariff decision, renewed his criticism of India in a post on X.

“President Trump’s 50% tariffs on Indian imports are now in effect. This isn’t just about India’s unfair trade—it’s about cutting off the financial lifeline India has extended to Putin’s war machine,” Navarro wrote.

He alleged that India has become a major hub for refining and re-exporting Russian oil, thereby helping Moscow bypass sanctions. “Here’s how the India-Russia oil mathematics works: American consumers buy Indian goods while India keeps out U.S. exports through high tariffs and non-tariff barriers. India uses our dollars to buy discounted Russian crude… Indian refiners, with their silent Russian partners, refine and flip the black-market oil for big profits on the international market—while Russia pockets hard currency to fund its war on Ukraine,” he claimed.

According to Navarro, Russian oil now makes up more than 30 per cent of India’s imports, a sharp rise from less than 1 per cent before the Ukraine war. He accused Indian refiners of turning the country into “a massive refining hub and oil money laundromat for the Kremlin.”

Notably, Navarro’s criticism did not extend to China, the world’s largest buyer of Russian oil, leaving New Delhi to face the brunt of Washington’s latest trade offensive.