Bluekraft Digital Foundation CEO Slams Raghuram Rajan Over Remarks on US Tariffs on India

New Delhi: Akhilesh Mishra, CEO of the Bluekraft Digital Foundation, has launched a sharp attack on former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan, accusing him of promoting political hostility under the guise of economic analysis. Mishra’s remarks came in response to a video clip of Rajan, recently shared by Congress national spokesperson Supriya Shrinate, in which the former RBI chief questioned the imposition of high US tariffs on India despite the perceived closeness between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former US President Donald Trump.

Taking to social media platform X, Mishra alleged that Rajan appeared “pleased” with the imposition of a 50 per cent tariff on India, even describing it as a “slap.” Mishra claimed that, for Rajan, India’s economic loss was acceptable so long as it politically embarrassed Prime Minister Modi. “This is not economics; this is political animosity,” Mishra wrote, adding that Rajan’s analysis reflected the views of someone who has repeatedly been proven wrong over the past decade and has now “degenerated into a troll.”

Rajan had earlier compared the 50 per cent tariff imposed on India with the 19 per cent tariff levied on Pakistan, raising questions about the strength of India–US relations. Countering this argument, Mishra asked why the United States had also imposed tariffs on close allies such as Canada, Denmark, France and other NATO member countries. According to Mishra, Rajan unfairly blamed India for the tariffs instead of calling out what he described as the arbitrary nature of US trade policy.

Mishra further accused Rajan of advocating compromises on India’s strategic interests. He questioned whether India should abandon its energy security, distance itself from Russia, sacrifice its farmers and dairy sector, or mortgage its strategic autonomy to appease foreign powers.

The Bluekraft CEO also targeted the Congress party for providing a platform to Rajan, pointing out that he had campaigned alongside Rahul Gandhi during the 2024 general elections. “Congress giving space to someone who compares India with Pakistan shows the limits of its political ambition,” Mishra said.

Escalating his criticism, Mishra alleged that Congress leaders were willing to act like “Trump’s Shahbaz Sharif or Yunus” to gain proximity to power. Defending the Modi government, he asserted, “Modi’s India chose sovereignty. Tariffs are the price of having a backbone.”

The controversy resurfaced after Rahul Gandhi’s recent remarks on a “dead economy,” following which Congress shared Rajan’s old video clip. Gandhi had claimed that job losses under the current government reflected a debt-driven economy and warned that US tariffs on Indian textiles could endanger over 45 million jobs and millions of small businesses.

The original clip of Rajan dates back to November 6, during an event organised by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. In his address, Rajan questioned the substance of India–US friendship, stating, “What does all the talk of friendship between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi mean if the US can impose a 50 per cent tariff on India, while Pakistan faces only 19 per cent?”

Rajan also cautioned against long-term trust in the United States, citing historical instances where US actions had disappointed India. He warned that despite joint military exercises and platforms like the QUAD, such tariffs were “disappointing” and could damage long-term strategic trust.