'Better to be recalcitrant than...': Shashi Tharoor fires back at US Treasury Secretary

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday hit back at US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's remark that India has been "a bit recalcitrant" in trade negotiations with Washington, saying it is preferable to resist injustice than to submit to it. 

"I hear some people are accusing India of being ‘recalcitrant’," Tharoor wrote on X. "I say, far better to be recalcitrant than to be tractable, submissive or acquiescent to injustice."

Bessent, speaking to Fox Business on Tuesday, said that while the US was on track to wrap up substantial trade agreements with most major partners by the end of October, talks with India had been slower.

"Switzerland is still around, India has been a bit recalcitrant," he said, adding that US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and legal teams were "busy papering all this over."

The comment comes as trade tensions escalate between the two countries. Last week, US President Donald Trump imposed additional tariffs on India, including a 25% levy on purchases of Russian oil, taking the total tariff rate on certain goods to 50%. The new measures are set to take effect on August 27.

The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi condemned the move, calling it "unjustified and unreasonable" and vowing to take “all necessary measures to safeguard national interests and economic security."

The tariff announcement coincided with preparations for the sixth round of bilateral trade talks, scheduled for August 25 in New Delhi, as part of negotiations on a proposed trade pact. Both sides have said they aim to conclude the first phase of the agreement by October or November.