NEW DELHI: By declaring the Indian economy as dead in the water on Thursday, President Donald Trump has put Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party in a bind. Until recently, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was canvassing support for the US president\u2019s election. Its supporters were holding special prayers and muttering mystical chants for Trump\u2019s victory. There was at least one temple created where a sculptured image of Trump was worshipped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Trump has ignored the lavish praise and called out India\u2019s energy imports from Russia and its tariff<\/a> regime as non-negotiable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Indian government said it was trying to figure out a response by consulting all the \u201cstakeholders\u201d, a euphemism for angry businesses whose hopes were riding on Mr Modi\u2019s daring ability to play both sides of the street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That appears to have hit a dead-end. Encouraging words have come from former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev who poohpoohed Mr Trump\u2019s vitriol and continued to see a world in good cheer despite the US president\u2019s hissed warnings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was sanguine that Trump was right at least about the state of the Indian economy. \u201cHe [Trump] is right. Everybody knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy, except the prime minister and the finance minister. I am glad that President Trump has stated a fact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe whole world knows \u2013 India\u2019s economy is a dead economy and the BJP has destroyed the economy. Why did they destroy it? To help Adani,\u201d said Mr Gandhi while speaking to reporters outside the parliament on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mr Gandhi was carefully silent about India\u2019s Russia ties.<\/a> The reference to tycoon Gautam Adani seemed more severe as the billionaire businessman close to Mr Modi is facing a corruption case in the US.<\/p>\n\n\n\n