Cong slams governmenton India-US trade deal

The Congress on Tuesday demanded that the Modi government should take Parliament into confidence on the details of both the EU and US trade deals, while alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “completely surrendered to appease” US President Donald Trump at the cost of India’s farmers.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh, pointing to Trump’s statement that the India-US trade deal was coming into effect immediately at Modi’s request, claimed that the “request was no doubt made to create diversionary headlines because his cowardice and capitulation to China had been exposed by Rahul Gandhi”.
“In his Truth Social post of late last night, President Trump wrote that the India-US trade deal was being announced and coming into effect immediately at Mr. Modi’s request. That request was no doubt made to create diversionary headlines because his cowardice and capitulation to China had been exposed by Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha yesterday afternoon,” Ramesh said on X.
“If Mr. Modi thinks he can manage the narrative in this manner he is completely mistaken. Because not only has his betrayal of national security been exposed, but the farmers of India are now seeing through his duplicity and his willingness to sell out their interests,” he said.
Hitting out at the government over the India-US trade deal, Ramesh said “India stands diminished by this unfortunate sequence of events”.
He said that from the information President Trump has provided, it is abundantly clear that Prime Minister Modi has “completely surrendered”.
Ramesh said that almost exactly a year ago, Prime Minister Modi landed at the White House to greet President Trump on his re-election.
“His trademark huglomacy was on full display. India-US relations never appeared brighter. Negotiations for a trade deal started immediately thereafter. But ever since President Trump made the first announcement of the halt to Operation Sindoor on the evening of May 10, 2025, things began to go downhill,” Ramesh said.
Subsequently, President Trump embraced Pakistan and Field Marshal Asim Munir enthusiastically, “exposing the hollowness of Mr. Modi’s huglomacy”, he claimed.
Ramesh pointed out that President Trump announced the trade deal very late last night.
“From the information President Trump has provided, it is abundantly clear that Prime Minister Modi has — like he did on May 10, 2025 — completely surrendered. He has most definitely appeased President Trump. India stands diminished by this unfortunate sequence of events,” he claimed.
Pointing out that Parliament is in session, Ramesh said the text of both the EU and US trade deals must be laid on the table of both Houses and debated, “especially since the US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has issued a statement claiming that India has liberalised agricultural imports from the US”.
Members of opposition parties also staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha while raising the issue of the Indo-US trade deal and demanding a discussion on it.
Several opposition MPs from the Rajya Sabha, including Congress’s Ramesh, Digvijaya Singh and Randeep Surjewal, AAP’s Sanjay Singh, and Manoj Jha from the RJD, among others, protested in Parliament premises and alleged that the interests of farmers in India had been compromised by the government.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, “We very strongly feel there is a need for clarity” as all there is so far is President Trump’s social media post and press statements, with no details.
“President Trump talks about India purchasing USD 500 billion worth of US goods, our entire import bill is USD 700 billion, how can we spend USD 500 billion on the US. “He mentions we will purchase American agricultural goods, apparently the American secretary of agriculture is saying that Indian market will be open to American farmers, we need to understand the terms of all of this because there are very significant political implications for India’s farmers,” he said.
The government must take Parliament into confidence and clearly explain what has been agreed to, he added.
“Obviously a trade deal is good for India as we need the vast American market. We all know that 18 per cent is better than 50 per cent…but we need to understand all the details before we can celebrate. At the moment, we have a situation where the Congress is asking questions, the BJP is not providing any answers,” Tharoor told reporters.
Congress leader and former commerce minister Anand Sharma hoped that the trade deal reached is as sovereign equals and safeguards India’s core interests in sensitive agriculture, dairy and pharma sectors.
“India and the US share a strategic and important partnership. Hope the trade deal reached is as sovereign equals and safeguards India’s core interests in sensitive agriculture, dairy and pharma sectors,” he said.
“Also there is no dilution of policy that relationship with one partner is not at the cost of another strategic partner and the freedom to trade is respected. Government must take Parliament and nation in confidence,” he said on X.
Trump on Monday said India and the US agreed to a trade deal.
On his part, PM Modi said he was delighted that “made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent”.
This came after India and the European Union, on January 27, sealed a landmark free trade agreement — billed as the “mother of all deals” — to create a market of two billion people.