The Indian Panorama

Tag: Lalit K. Jha

  • Indian-American lawmakers criticize Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, call them ‘reckless’

    Indian-American lawmakers criticize Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, call them ‘reckless’

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Describing US President Donald Trump’s tariff announcements as “reckless and self-destructive,” Indian-American Congressmen on Wednesday, April 2,  alleged that he is trying to destroy the country’s economy with his Liberation Day tariff, reports Lalit K Jha.

    “Trump is literally trying to destroy our economy with Liberation Day. Tariffs slapped overnight. No strategy, no consultation, no Congressional input. What does this mean? Prices are going to go up,” Congressman Ro Khanna said. There is total uncertainty, he said, adding that businesses don’t know whether to invest, and the stock market is down.

    Khanna alleged that Trump’s economic policies are incompetent and incoherent.

    Raja Krishnamoorthi said the new tariffs announced by President Donald Trump are reckless and self-destructive.

    “Donald Trump’s blanket tariffs are a tax on working families so that he can cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans. These latest so-called ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs are reckless and self-destructive, inflicting financial pain on Illinois at a time when people are already struggling to keep their small businesses afloat and put food on the table,” Krishnamoorthi said. Trump announced a 10 per cent tariff on goods imports from all countries. He also announced reciprocal tariffs on about 60 nations, which were calculated based on the nature of trade barriers the countries have in place on US goods and the size of US deficits.

    “Don’t listen to Trump – these do nothing to strengthen our economy or national security. These tariffs isolate the United States on the global stage, alienate our allies, and empower our adversaries – all while forcing America’s seniors and working families to bear the brunt of higher prices,” Krishnamoorthi said.

    “I urge all Americans to join me in calling on President Trump to end his disastrous tariff policies before he sends our country into a recession,” he said.

    Indian-American Congressman Dr Ami Bera also slammed Trump. “Let me be clear: these tariffs will not “make America wealthy again. These costs will be passed onto YOU— the American consumer. This is not a tax cut. This is a tax hike,” he said.

    “I don’t know what President Trump means by “Liberation Day” but what I do know is that across-the-board tariffs will increase costs for American families. His trade wars place a major burden on working class families at a time when Democrats and Republicans should be working together to lower costs,” Bera said.

    Indian-American Congressman Suhas Subramanyam said these tariffs will raise costs on every American and actually hurt manufacturing in our country. “Small businesses and working families will suffer the most,” he said.

    (Lalit K Jha is a Washington-based freelance journalist)

  • PTI White House Correspondent Lalit K. Jha honored at Bihar Divas Celebrations

    PTI White House Correspondent Lalit K. Jha honored at Bihar Divas Celebrations

    NEW YORK (TIP): Press Trust of India White House Correspondent Lalit K. Jha who comes from Bihar was honored for his work and contribution in the field of journalism and Maithili language , one of the Bihar languages, at a crowded Bihar Day celebration at the Indian Consulate here on March 21, 2023.
    Mr. Jha was presented a robe of honor by the Consul General of India at New York, Ambassador Randhir Kumar Jaiswal, himself a Bihari. Mr. Alok Kumar described Mr. Jha as a great son of Bihar and thanked him for the great work he has done in the field of promotion of Maithili language and in the field of journalism. He said Mr. Jha has done proud to Bihar and Biharis.
    In his acceptance speech, Mr. Jha said that Biharis have contributed greatly to the nation and the world. About his work, he said it was ongoing work and he hopes to continue to work for the promotion of Maithili.

  • India, US condemn assault on senior journalist Lalit K. Jha by Khalistani protestors in Washington

    India, US condemn assault on senior journalist Lalit K. Jha by Khalistani protestors in Washington

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): After a Washington DC-based Indian journalist was allegedly attacked by Khalistan supporters, the Indian embassy in the United States has condemned the incident in a statement released on Saturday, March 25. “We condemn such a grave and unwarranted attack on a senior journalist. Such activities only underscore the violent and anti-social tendencies of the so-called ‘Khalistani protestors’ and their supporters, who routinely engage in wanton violence and vandalism,” the statement from the Indian embassy said.
    “We have seen disturbing visuals of a senior Indian journalist from the Press Trust of India being abused, threatened & assaulted physically while covering so-called ‘Khalistan protest’ in Washington DC earlier today,” the Indian embassy in U.S. said in a press release on Saturday, March 25.
    The statement said, “We understand that the journalist was first verbally intimidated, then physically assaulted, and fearing for his personal safety and well-being, had to call in law enforcement agencies, who responded promptly.” The Indian embassy in their statement also thanked the law enforcement agencies for their prompt response in the matter.
    Mr. Jha on Sunday thanked U.S. Secret Service for protecting him and helping him do his job. He said he was hit on his left ear with two sticks by pro-Khalistan supporters. He also shared a video of the Khalistani supporters on his Twitter handle. “Thank you @SecretService 4 my protection 2day 4 helping do my job, otherwise I would have been writing this from the hospital. The gentleman below hit my left ear with these 2 sticks & earlier I had to call 9/11 & rushed 2 police van 4 safety fearing physical assault,” Mr. Jha tweeted on Sunday.
    “At one point I felt so threatened that I called 911. I then spotted Secret Service officers and narrated the incident to them,” Mr. Jha told ANI. However, the journalist decided to take no action against those who heckled him. “The pro-Khalistan protestors in support of Amritpal Singh waved Khalistan flags and descended upon the embassy in the presence of the US Secret Service. They even openly threatened to vandalize the embassy and threatened the Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu,” Mr. Jha told ANI.
    The protesters came in from different parts of the DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) area. Multiple events of protests by supporters of Khalistan have been staged outside the Indian embassy and the San Francisco Consulate. Earlier this week the Indian Consulate in San Francisco was also attacked on March 20. Visuals shared online show a huge mob brandishing Khalistan flags mounted on wooden poles, using them to smash glass doors and windows of the consulate building. They raised pro-Khalistan slogans as they broke through makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and installed two Khalistan flags inside the premises.
    The United States strongly condemned the attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco by a group of separatist Sikhs, terming it absolutely unacceptable. The United States has condemned the attack on the Indian Consulate in San Francisco and any attack against diplomatic facilities within the U.S.
    The U.S. has pledged to defend the safety and security of these facilities as well as the diplomats who work within them. “The United States condemns the attack against the Indian Consulate and any attack against diplomatic facilities within the United States. We pledge to defend the safety and security of these facilities as well as the diplomats who work within them,” U.S. State Department spokesperson told ANI.
    U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said via Twitter that the U.S. condemns the acts of violence against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. He further said that the U.S. is committed to the safety and security of Indian diplomats. Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, President, Journalists Beyond Borders, an international association of journalists, condemned the dastardly assault on senior fellow journalist Lalit K. Jha by the protesting Khalistanis , and has demanded from the administration prompt action, under the law, against the assailants. He said while everyone had the freedom of expression and the right to protest, nobody under the US law is allowed to physically assault a person.