8 Sep 2025: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said that while US President Donald Trump’s “new tone” on relations with India was welcome, his previous insults cannot be forgiven and forgotten so easily.
Tharoor was reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s response to Donald Trump on the India-US relationship. He stated that while PM Modi was very quick to respond, the governments and diplomats of both countries needed to do some serious repair work.
“The Prime Minister was very quick to respond, and the foreign minister has also underscored the importance of the basic relationship that is a comprehensive global strategic partnership, which is still there. And that message is an important message for us to give… I think there’s some serious repair work that needs to be done by governments and diplomats on both sides. I would welcome this new tone with a spirit of caution. One can’t just forget and forgive so quickly because there are real consequences that Indians are facing on the ground, and those consequences need to be overcome…,” Tharoor told news agency ANI.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP said both the insults and the 50 percent tariff imposed on goods from India cannot just be completely forgotten
He further stated that Trump’s tariffs had consequences for the people, which could not be completely forgotten. He also called the Republican leader’s temperament “mercurial.”
“I don’t think we can just completely forget either the 50 per cent tariffs or the insults that have accompanied it from both the President and his staff…. Mr Trump has a fairly mercurial temperament, and what he has been saying has caused some hurt and offence in our country. The 50 per cent tariffs have actually had consequences already…” he further added.
Donald Trump called India-US relations ‘very special’
President Donald Trump on Friday called the India-US ties a “very special relationship” and affirmed that he and PM Narendra Modi would “always be friends”, asserting that there is “nothing to worry about”.
PM Modi responded warmly to Trump’s remarks and his positive assessment of the bilateral relations.
“Deeply appreciate and fully reciprocate President Trump’s sentiments and positive assessment of our ties. India and the US have a very positive and forward-looking Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership,” the Prime Minister said in a post on X.
Summary: Shashi Tharoor criticized former President Trump’s approach toward India, stating that past tariffs and insults cannot be overlooked despite his recent “new tone” in diplomatic remarks.