In his first public event since taking office as Vice President, C.P. Radhakrishnan addressed the recent trade tensions between India and the United States, particularly focusing on tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. Radhakrishnan highlighted that despite the US putting a 50% import duty on many Indian goods, Donald Trump still refers to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “great friend.” He emphasized that even in this scenario, Trump “has not said he is against Modi.”

Speaking at a function where he released four volumes of selected speeches by PM Modi covering 2022-24, Radhakrishnan praised Modi’s friendships with world leaders including Trump, Putin, and China’s President Xi Jinping. He said that such relationships indicate Modi’s ability “to turn the impossible into possible.”

He also described Modi’s leadership philosophy, noting that his global aspirations aren’t about dominance, but about welfare. Radhakrishnan asserted that a true leader cannot ignore public sentiment, and that India’s push to become a global power is rooted in “global well-being, not dictation.”

In other remarks, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh and I&B Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw elaborated on India’s challenges. Harivansh pointed to dependence on foreign nations as a major issue, while Vaishnaw noted India’s progress: over 800 million people now receive ration without hurdles, and the country is operating what he described as the largest food security programme in the world.