Lovely Professional University (LPU) has banned the sale of all American soft drink brands on campus after its Chancellor and Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Ashok Kumar Mittal announced a nationwide campaign, “Swadeshi 2.0,” urging Indians to boycott U.S. products.

The move comes in protest against Washington’s decision to double tariffs on Indian goods to 50%, one of the steepest hikes imposed by the United States on any country.

Announcing the initiative at the Constitution Club, Dr. Mittal accused the Trump administration of “hypocrisy and bullying.” He pointed out that while the U.S. continues to buy Russian oil, India is being penalized for pursuing its own economic interests.

“By banning American soft drinks at LPU, we want to send a clear message that India will not bow down to unfair diktats. Our 40,000 students have already enforced this boycott,” he said.

Before the announcement, Dr. Mittal visited Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi. Drawing parallels with the 1905 Swadeshi movement, he said, “If our forefathers could boycott British goods under colonial rule, we can do the same today. America has underestimated India’s resolve.”

He warned that punitive tariffs strike at sectors where Punjab is a global exporter, including textiles, sports goods, tractors and agricultural products. “This is not just about one university or one brand—it is about India asserting its economic dignity,” he said.

Dr. Mittal, a senior AAP leader, has taken similar nationalist positions in the past. LPU ended MoUs with Turkish and Azerbaijani institutions last year after they backed Pakistan post the Pahalgam attack. In May, he launched the ‘Jai Jawan Scholarship’, waiving tuition fees for 22 lakh armed forces personnel enrolling in LPU’s online programs.

Earlier this month, he had written an open letter opposing U.S. tariffs, calling them an attack on India’s sovereignty.

Whether Swadeshi 2.0 grows beyond LPU’s campus remains to be seen, but Mittal’s message is unambiguous: India will not accept economic pressure silently.