India, Aug. 7 -- Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday criticised the United States' decision to impose a 50% tariff on Indian goods, calling it "economic blackmail" and a direct consequence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's focus on image-building rather than serious diplomacy.

In a post on social media platform X, Siddaramaiah backed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's sharp attack on the Modi government's foreign policy. "Rahul Gandhi raised timely alarms on multiple national issues, from GST to demonetisation and COVID mishandling. His warnings were dismissed, but time has proven him right. Now, he's been proven right yet again on the Trump tariff issue," Siddaramaiah wrote.

Referring to the former US President's tariff hike ...