Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan has triggered a controversy after making a remark comparing India to Venezuela and questioning whether a similar situation could unfold under US President Donald Trump, a comment that drew sharp criticism and ridicule on social media.

Referring to a US military action in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, Chavan posed a rhetorical question during his attack on the Narendra Modi government over India-US trade tensions. He asked whether something similar could happen in India and whether Trump could “kidnap” India’s prime minister — a statement many online users described as absurd.

The remark quickly went viral, prompting a barrage of criticism. Several social media users mocked the comparison, pointing out that India is a nuclear power and calling the statement irresponsible and ill-considered.

Former Jammu and Kashmir director general of police S P Vaid strongly criticised Chavan’s comments, calling them “humiliating for the entire country.” Vaid questioned whether such a comparison reflected the Congress party’s broader thinking and urged leaders to exercise restraint while speaking on sensitive geopolitical matters.

Tariff issue behind the political attack

Chavan’s comments came as part of the Congress’s criticism of the Modi government over steep tariffs imposed by the United States on Indian goods. He argued that a 50 per cent tariff effectively blocks bilateral trade, particularly exports from India to the US.

According to Chavan, such tariffs have reduced export earnings for Indian businesses, forcing the country to explore alternative markets. He said efforts were already underway to diversify trade destinations as a response to the situation.

Kharge targets Modi over Trump remarks

The controversy follows recent remarks by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who cited comments attributed to Trump regarding India’s purchase of Russian oil. Kharge referred to an audio clip in which Trump claimed that India was willing to reduce its Russian oil imports after facing US tariffs.

Kharge used the remarks to allege that Prime Minister Modi was acting under pressure from the US president, questioning the nature of the much-publicised friendship between the two leaders. He compared the situation to a popular film dialogue to underline his criticism.

Trade data shows export growth despite tariffs

Despite the political sparring, official trade data shows that India’s merchandise exports to the United States rose 22.61 per cent to $6.98 billion in November, even after the imposition of steep tariffs.

During the April–November period of the current financial year, exports to the US increased by 11.38 per cent to $59.04 billion, while imports from the US rose 13.49 per cent to $35.4 billion, reflecting continued trade engagement between the two countries.

The Election Commission has removed 2.89 crore voters from Uttar Pradesh’s electoral rolls in the draft revised list released after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

According to the commission, the updated draft list now includes 12.56 crore voters, a significant decline from 15.44 crore voters recorded in October 2025, when the revision process began.

Majority removed due to migration and deaths

Of the total voters deleted from the rolls, 2.17 crore individuals were found to have shifted their residence, while 46.23 lakh voters were identified as deceased. Another 25.47 lakh voters were removed for being registered at more than one location.

The SIR exercise was conducted to clean up the voter database by eliminating duplicate, outdated and invalid entries, officials said.

Voters can verify names through ECINET app

The commission has urged voters to check their names in the draft list using the ECINET mobile application, which allows verification through smartphones.

The final electoral roll for Uttar Pradesh will be published on March 6, after addressing claims and objections received during the draft phase.

A special PMLA court has issued summons to businessman Raj Kundra in connection with the Bitcoin scam case, following the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) chargesheet. The court has directed Kundra, along with Dubai-based businessman Rajesh Satija, to appear before it on January 19.

Kundra and Satija were added as accused in a supplementary filing by the ED in September last year. The case is being investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

ED claims Kundra received 285 Bitcoins

According to the ED, Raj Kundra received 285 Bitcoins from Amit Bhardwaj, the promoter of the Gain Bitcoin Ponzi scheme, for establishing a Bitcoin mining farm in Ukraine. The deal did not proceed, and Kundra is alleged to still hold the Bitcoins, currently valued at over Rs 150 crore.

The chargesheet also notes that Kundra claimed to act merely as a mediator in the transactions but failed to provide any documentary evidence to support this claim. Instead, an agreement titled “Term Sheet” exists between him and Mahendra Bhardwaj, Amit’s father.

Evidence suggests Kundra was the beneficial owner

The ED stated that Kundra recalling the exact number of Bitcoins received across five tranches over seven years indicates he was the actual recipient and not a mediator. Additionally, he has not disclosed the wallet addresses for these Bitcoins despite multiple opportunities since 2018. Kundra reportedly cited damage to his iPhone X as the reason for missing details, which the ED views as a deliberate attempt to conceal proceeds of crime.