Referring to the joint statement issued after high-level India-US engagements, Kharge claimed that the agreement provides for zero tariffs on several American exports to India, which, he said, would “virtually open up India’s agriculture to American goods.”
File Photo: IANS
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday mounted a strong attack on the Narendra Modi government over its recent trade understanding with the United States, alleging that New Delhi had entered into a “trap deal” that undermines India’s national interest and strategic autonomy.
In a post on X, Kharge questioned both the timing and the substance of the agreement, asking why the government did not wait for a US Supreme Court judgment on tariffs before finalising what he described as a one-sided arrangement. “Clueless Foreign Policy or One-Sided Surrender?” Kharge wrote, accusing the government of rushing into a deal “which extracted huge concessions from India.”
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Referring to the joint statement issued after high-level India-US engagements, Kharge claimed that the agreement provides for zero tariffs on several American exports to India, which, he said, would “virtually open up India’s agriculture to American goods.”
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He further alleged that the deal includes a plan to import goods worth USD 500 billion from the US, a commitment to halt purchases of Russian oil — potentially impacting India’s energy security — and tax concessions in the digital sector.
“Modi ji must stand before Indians and tell the truth,” he said.
The Congress chief directly questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over what he termed a compromise of India’s strategic autonomy. “What or who pressured you into compromising India’s national interest and strategic autonomy,” Kharge asked, making a provocative reference to the “Epstein Files”.
He also called on the government to “wake up from its deep slumber” and renegotiate what he described as an unequal agreement to safeguard the “self-respect of 140 crore Indians” and protect the interests of farmers, workers, small businesses and traders.
Political Flashpoint
Kharge’s remarks came amid heightened political debate over India’s evolving economic and strategic engagement with the United States, particularly in areas such as tariffs, agriculture market access, digital taxation and energy procurement.
The Opposition has been consistently accusing the Centre of making unilateral concessions in trade negotiations. The government, however, has maintained that strengthening economic ties with the US enhances India’s global standing and bolsters supply chain resilience. It has also argued that India’s foreign policy balances national interest with strategic partnerships, and that diversifying trade and energy sources strengthens long-term security.
With details of the proposed trade framework expected to face greater public and parliamentary scrutiny, Kharge’s sharp criticism signals that trade policy and strategic autonomy could become major political flashpoints in the weeks ahead.
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