Congress president and Rajya Sabha Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday hit out at the Modi government after the White House issued a factsheet on the trade deal between India and the US.
Kharge posted on X: “Truth of the ‘Trap Deal’ is now slowly coming out !... We were told that the Indo-US Joint Statement said nothing on Russian oil, even though Mr. Trump publicly tweeted otherwise. Now the White House fact sheet clearly lists ‘India’s commitment to stop purchasing Russian Federation oil’ as a condition for removal of an additional 25 per cent tariff.”
He added: “’Pulses’ have been silently added in the newly released White House fact sheet on Feb 9, which was not part of the Indo-US Joint Statement issued on Feb 6, 2026. The utility of red sorghum imports to India was mentioned in the Joint Statement, but that utility pertaining to ‘animal feed’ has now mysteriously vanished in the White House factsheet of Feb 9, 2026….
“Full-page ads are being published in newspapers... but the truth is that the Modi Govt did not approve GM feed since 2017, and now suddenly approves it. 2 crore dairy farmers will suffer the consequences, but RSS-Sangh Parivar-BJP, who carry out lynchings in the name of the cow, are hell-bent on destroying our country’s cattle population.”
Kharge concluded: “By granting Dhaka zero-duty access for using American cotton, Washington has effectively incentivised Bangladesh over Indian farmers to save their own
margins. As textile hubs like Tirupur and Surat are shackled by 18% taxes, our neighbour gains a 0% fast-track, dealing a lethal ‘double whammy’ to Indian cotton and garments alike.
“Conclusion: Is this a victory or a PR-wrapped betrayal that sacrifices India’s strategic national interests and export engine at the altar of Epstein Files?”
AAP parliamentary leader Sanjay Singh said India had saved ₹1.53 lakh crore by buying Russian oil.
He added: “US President Donald Trump openly states that he will keep India under surveillance, and if India buys oil from Russia, a 25 per cent tax will be imposed again. This directly means that the US is not allowing India to buy cheap oil for its people.”
