Modi’s image likely damaged by lifting ban on hydroxychloroquine exports: Subramanian Swamy

The BJP Rajya Sabha MP has said that India lifting the ban on drug exports on the same day that Trump’s 'there may be retaliation' remark makes it look like it backed down.

File photo of BJP MP Subramanian Swamy | Photo: Prashanth Vishwanathan | Bloomberg

New Delhi: BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy has said that India’s partial removal of the ban on the export of hydroxychloroquine which helps combat Covid-19, has sent the message that India capitulated in front of US President Donald Trump’s threat, possibly damaging PM Modi’s image.

“Trump threatened India and India backed down, this is the impression that has gone across the length and breadth of the country,” said Swamy in a live session on Virat Hindustan Sangam’s (VHS) YouTube channel Friday.

On 6 April, President Trump had said that if India did not allow the export of hydroxychloroquine then “there may be retaliation”. The Modi government partially lifted the ban on the export of the drugs on 6 April itself.

“Within two hours of President Trump’s press conference India had withdrawn that order for banning exports and then verbally said that those countries who need the most will get it and that India gets first preference,” said Swamy in a daily programme called ‘Words of Wisdom’.

“Now, unfortunately the timing was so bad that our media picked it up and said Trump threatens India and India backs down. Now that’s the impression that has gone to the length and breadth of the country. I checked with my friends in Gujarat and they also confirmed that that’s how it is being received,” he added.

ThePrint reached out to Swamy for a comment but he did not respond till the publishing of this story.

‘Words of Wisdom’ which was launched on 2 April, on Ram Navami, is a daily programme on VHS’ YouTube channel where Swamy answers questions posed by Jagdish Shetty, National General  Secretary of VHS and Dr Arvind Chaturvedi, a member of the organisation.

In the programme, Swamy addresses questions on themes as varied as coronavirus, economy to the management of temples and Tablighi Jamaat.

Possible damage to Modi’s image

In the latest episode, Swamy said that the move to partially lift the ban has also possibly damaged Modi’s image, which he had cultivated over time. “Suddenly that whole image which had been created, in my opinion, was very badly damaged, if it didn’t crash completely”.

At one point, he gives Modi the benefit of doubt, saying that he wasn’t sure if civil servants had kept him in the loop before announcing the partial lifting of the export ban.

The Rajya Sabha MP also argued that while Indo-US relations can be repaired in future, “the fact is that it has certainly been a factor in the mind of the people that somehow we bent and the impression was we won’t bend”.

He added that since Modi is the Prime Minister of India “any insult to him or any degradation to him is a degradation of India”.

Swamy also cited his own experience in the US and said that while dealing with Americans one should understand that they are “very business like ” and if you promise something to them you must deliver and vice-versa.

“All this meeting him, hugging him..all this don’t make for Indo-US friendship. What makes for Indo-US friendship is what it is that they want and we deliver that,” Swamy said.

“As far as anti-malaria tablets are concerned we should have told him when he called on Sunday that, we have a huge problem in our country and we can’t give it to you and raw material comes from China and nothing is coming right now,” he added.

Not always critical

But it’s not as if Swamy is always critical of the Modi government. In another episode on 5 April, when asked to comment on Modi’s strategy against coronavirus, he praised him profusely and said that unlike Nehru, he stood like a “senapati” (army general) in the fight against the coronavirus war.

He also appreciated the fact that while a number of deaths have been reported due to Covid-19 across the world, the numbers in India were still low. He said he had participated in the various calls for solidarity — ‘thali bajao’ and “lighting a diya”.

However, the BJP veteran maintained that he considered coronavirus a smaller issue compared to the economy, which needs immediate attention. “Coronavirus mere liye ek choti samasya hai” (Coronavirus is a small issue for me), he said, adding that the situation of the economy is more serious and “visphotak” (damaging).

He also urged the government to ensure no jobs are lost during coronavirus even if people are paid only 80 per cent of their salaries. “The economy should have been dealt with earlier but no one listended to me. I have been cautioning the government over this. At least now they should ensure no one loses jobs whether in the organised or unorganised sector,” said Swamy.

To ensure this is done the government should look at ways of getting back the money stashed abroad, Swamy added.