Modi’s India takes on Trump more openly, from ‘terrorism’ to tariffs

What the report says

India is taking a more open and public line of criticism toward President Donald Trump’s administration, according to Al Jazeera, after months of trying to manage tensions quietly. The shift was highlighted by Foreign Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s remarks in New York this week, where he said Washington had been dismissive of India’s concerns about terrorism, too receptive to Pakistan, and overly focused on trade policies that hurt developing countries.

The article says the tougher tone reflects rising friction between New Delhi and Washington over trade, tariffs, Pakistan and Kashmir, as well as domestic political pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi has faced criticism at home for appearing too accommodating to the US, and his recent phone call with Trump was described by him only as “productive,” a more restrained tone than in the past. Al Jazeera also notes that India and the US have not yet finalized a trade deal, while tariff threats from Washington have added strain.

A major point of disagreement is Trump’s repeated claim that he helped broker the ceasefire after the brief India-Pakistan conflict in May last year. India has rejected any third-party role in Kashmir-related issues and has been irritated by what it sees as Trump’s public alignment with Pakistan. On terrorism, Jaishankar argued that India’s concerns are not sufficiently understood in Washington.

The piece suggests this more direct approach marks a change in New Delhi’s diplomacy, driven by frustration and by a sense that earlier restraint has not produced reciprocity from the Trump White House.