Washington: Indian-American Congressman Suhas Subramanyam has accused the Trump administration of damaging ties with India, saying its tariffs and other actions have not helped advance the strategic partnership between the two countries.
“This foreign policy of this administration has been a complete failure, and they have hurt the US-India relationship,” Subramanyam, who represents Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, told IANS in an interview.
“They’ve hurt our relationships all around the world, and except with dictators. They’ve strengthened those relationships,” the Democratic lawmaker said.
Subramanyam was responding to a question about the state of India-US relations after a meeting between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Asked whether the meeting had improved ties, the Congressman said the administration’s approach to other countries had lacked consistency.
“You know, it depends on which side of the bed the president wakes up on,” he said.
Subramanyam stressed that Washington must maintain a robust partnership with New Delhi and work closely with allies in addressing global challenges.
“I think in the end, we have to have a strong US-India relationship,” he said. “We have to make sure that we’re working with our allies on addressing the biggest problems in the world, encountering some of the folks who present themselves as our adversaries.”
The Congressman also expressed concern over the Trump administration’s engagement with Pakistan and its army chief, Asim Munir.
“I’ve spoken out a lot about my concerns about Munir and what’s happening with Pakistan,” Subramanyam said.
He said the United States must hold its partners accountable, including over concerns surrounding democratic governance in Pakistan.
“And, you know, in the end, we have to hold our allies to task, and that includes Pakistan and includes some of the things that have happened with their democracy,” he said.
Subramanyam said his priority remained strengthening relations between Washington and New Delhi. He also cautioned against alienating countries with which the United States maintains ties.
“But, you know, certainly we’re focused more on the US-India relationship,” he said. “We don’t want to alienate, you know, any ally.”
The Congressman returned to his criticism of the administration’s trade measures, arguing that tariffs and other decisions had made it harder to sustain momentum in bilateral ties.
“But I think some of the things the President has done, with the tariffs and with some of his actions, have not been productive as far as continuing the US-India relationship,” Subramanyam said.
India and the United States have expanded cooperation over the past two decades in defence, trade, technology, energy and the Indo-Pacific. Their engagement includes regular high-level meetings and cooperation through the Quad, which also includes Australia and Japan.
Subramanyam has represented Virginia’s 10th Congressional District since 2025. Northern Virginia is home to a large Indian-American community and a significant concentration of technology workers, entrepreneurs and federal government employees.
(IANS)
