The Congress on Tuesday stepped up its attack on the Modi government over the India-US trade deal, demanding that the Centre place the details of both the US and European Union agreements before Parliament and allow a full discussion while the House is in session.
The party alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “completely surrendered” to US President Donald Trump at the cost of India’s farmers and strategic interests.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh anchored the party’s criticism around President Trump’s social media announcement, in which he said the India-US trade deal was being announced and would come into effect immediately at Prime Minister Modi’s request.
“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.
He warned that the government would not be able to “manage the narrative” through announcements from Washington.
“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.
Ramesh argued that based on what President Trump has made public so far, “India stands diminished by this unfortunate sequence of events”.
He said, “From the information President Trump has provided, it is abundantly clear that Prime Minister Modi has ‘completely surrendered’.”
Recalling events over the past year, Ramesh said Prime Minister Modi had visited the White House almost exactly a year ago to greet President Trump after his re-election.
“His trademark huglomacy was on full display. India-US relations never appeared brighter. Negotiations for a trade deal started immediately thereafter,” he said.
According to Ramesh, the situation changed after President Trump’s announcement on May 10, 2025, regarding the halt to Operation Sindoor.
“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,” he said.
He also referred to Trump’s engagement with Pakistan’s leadership. Subsequently, President Trump embraced Pakistan and field marshal Asim Munir enthusiastically, “exposing the hollowness of Mr. Modi’s huglomacy”, Ramesh claimed.
Ramesh noted that President Trump announced the trade deal “very late last night” and repeated that the Prime Minister had once again “completely surrendered”.
“He has most definitely appeased President Trump. India stands diminished by this unfortunate sequence of events,” he said.
With Parliament 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.
This was especially necessary, he said, because “the US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has issued a statement claiming that India has liberalised agricultural imports from the US”.
The political confrontation spilled into the Upper House, with members of several opposition parties staging a walkout from the Rajya Sabha while raising the issue of the India-US trade deal and demanding a discussion.
Several Opposition MPs, including Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, Digvijaya Singh and Randeep Surjewal, AAP’s Sanjay Singh and RJD’s Manoj Jha, protested in the Parliament premises, alleging that the government had compromised the interests of Indian farmers.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor echoed the demand for transparency, saying there was a serious lack of information in the public domain.
“We very strongly feel there is a need for clarity,” Tharoor said, pointing out that so far there was only President Trump’s social media post and a few press statements. He questioned the scale of commitments being suggested by the US President.
“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.” Tharoor added that agriculture was a key concern. “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.
Tharoor underlined that Parliament must be taken into confidence.
“The government must take Parliament into confidence and clearly explain what has been agreed to,” he said. At the same time, he acknowledged that trade agreements could bring benefits. “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.
Former commerce minister Anand Sharma also weighed in, urging caution and clarity. He said India and the US shared “a strategic and important partnership” and expressed hope that the deal had been reached “as sovereign equals”.
“Hope the trade deal reached is as sovereign equals and safeguards India’s core interests in sensitive agriculture, dairy and pharma sectors,” Sharma said.
He also flagged concerns beyond trade numbers.
“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.
The government, however, pushed back sharply against the Opposition’s criticism. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal accused the Congress and its allies of trying to mislead the country on the trade deal.
He took particular aim at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying that he had a negative mindset and was opposed to India’s progress.
Goyal said he was prepared to speak in Parliament on the trade deal but was unable to do so because of what he described as ugly scenes created by Congress and other opposition parties.
The controversy follows President Trump’s announcement on Monday that India and the US had agreed to a trade deal.
Prime Minister Modi welcomed the development, saying he was delighted that “made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent”.
The debate has also unfolded against the backdrop of India’s recent agreement with Europe. On January 27, India and the European Union sealed a free trade agreement that was described by the government as creating a market of two billion people.