PHAGWARA: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP and Founder-Chancellor of Lovely Professional University (LPU), Dr. Ashok Kumar Mittal has put into motion a complete ban on sale of all American soft drink brands like Coka Cola and Pepsi across the LPU campus. Launching Swadeshi 2.0, Dr. Mittal has also appealed all Indians to join hands in boycotting American products and join the Swadeshi 2.0 movement in response to Trump Tariffs.
The move comes in direct response to America’s ‘unfair’ decision to double tariffs on Indian goods, taking the overall hike to a staggering 50% — one of the highest tariff rates imposed by the USA on any country in the world.
Dr. Ashok Kumar Mittal declared his stand against the ‘hypocrisy and bullying’ of the Trump administration. He said, “While the U.S. and their European allies continue to purchase oil from Russia, India is being unfairly targeted for putting its own national interests first. LPU, one of India’s largest private universities with 40, 000 students, has enforced the boycott immediately, and I am proud to see tremendous support for this cause from across the country!”
Dr. Mittal has given the clarion call for Swadeshi 2.0, urging all Indians to boycott American products.‘By banning American soft drinks at LPU, we want to send a clear message to the world, that India will not bow down to any unfair diktats.’, said the AAP MP as he paid floral tributes at the Rajghat (Mahatma Gandhiji’s crematorium) and took blessings before the announcement of the implementation of the ban.
Speaking from the Rajghat, Dr. Mittal stated, “Back in 1905, the Swadeshi movement was able to cut imports significantly targeting British clothes and products across segments. If our forefathers could do it under colonial rule, why can’t we do it today? I think America has underestimated India’s strength and resolve. The time has come to show them our true strength and resolve.”
On the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, Dr. Mittal remembered the heroes of the Swadeshi movement in 1905- Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal, Aurobindo Ghosh, among others. He added that over a century back, Tilak ji had transformed Ganesh Utsav as a platform of cultural unity and of Jan Andolan to fight the Britishers out, and it’s quite a privilege that “I am launching Swadeshi 2.0 today on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi.
Dr. Mittal further explained how the boycott could escalate into a powerful economic weapon. “If this symbolic step grows into a nationwide movement, it could generate a massive negative impact on the American economy”
Talking specifically about his home state Punjab, Dr. Ashok Mittal stressed that the U.S. tariffs strike at sectors where the state is a global leader. Punjab exports many products to America, including hand-tools, textiles and garments, sports goods, tractors, agricultural goods etc.
Dr. Mittal reinforced his stance that this move was not merely about one university, one boycott, or one American brand, but about the entire country signaling its refusal to bow to pressure and work towards economic independence. ‘This is about India asserting its economic dignity. Global powers may attempt to strong-arm us, but we will not bow. Swadeshi 2.0 is not just resistance—it is an opportunity for India to embrace self-reliance.’As America attempts to strong-arm India with punitive tariffs, voices like his reflect a broader determination to safeguard national interest.