NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda has strongly criticized US President Donald Trump over his recent comments describing India’s economy as “dead.” In a sharp statement issued on Friday, Gowda said Trump’s remarks were “baseless and ill-tempered” and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for standing firm in the face of US pressure and for not compromising the nation’s interests.Calling Trump “a head of state so volatile, uncivil and irresponsible,” Gowda said even a small trader or poor farmer in India, who works with dignity and integrity, could teach the US President a lesson in conduct.

“There is something fundamentally wrong with him which reason, diplomacy or statecraft cannot diagnose and address”, the senior leader said. He added that “It may not be correct to say anything more than this on his ill-tempered nature because it would mean lowering our own standards.”The former PM hailed India’s democratic and sovereign character, stating that the country has always acted in its national interest. He expressed confidence in India’s ability to withstand international pressure and said he was proud of PM Modi for not being threatened by Trump’s bullying.“I am very happy and proud that India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not compromised our national interest. It has not blinked to Mr. Trump’s bullying and has shown that it will never be dictated by threat,” the statement read.Gowda also defended India’s economic performance, noting that it remains one of the fastest growing economies in the world and currently ranks fifth globally. Responding to Trump’s “dead economy” jibe, he said the US President was either “blind or ill-informed.”He further warned some Indian opposition leaders who echoed Trump’s statements, urging them not to act as “deluded spokespersons” of the US President.Gowda’s statement came after Trump imposed a 25% tariff on all Indian goods starting August 1, following a breakdown in interim trade negotiations between the two countries. In his Truth Social post, Trump also said that India and Russia could “take their dead economies down together,” sparking strong reactions.