With the US Supreme Court’s ruling striking down United States President Donald Trump’s global tariffs, the Congress party launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led central government, alleging that the government rushed into a “one-sided, anti-India trade deal” with the US.
The US Supreme Court on Friday invalidated the sweeping reciprocal tariffs imposed by Trump, which went up to 50 per cent for India, stating that they were imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a law that does not grant the President unilateral authority to levy broad-based tariffs. Following the legal setback, Trump announced a 10 per cent global tariff effective immediately.
Pawan Khera questions ‘late-night call’ to Trump
Congress leader Pawan Khera criticised the government’s handling of the situation, questioning why Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a “late-night call” to Washington on February 2.
“Haste is the work of the devil. Had India waited just 18 more days, we may not have found ourselves cornered into what is a one-sided, anti-India trade deal,” Khera said.
Referring to the Supreme Court’s ruling, Khera also raised a series of pointed questions about the timing of the agreement. He suggested that various domestic and international pressures may have influenced the Centre’s decision. “Why did Modi make that late-night call to Washington on 2nd February? Why did India abandon the initial strategy of waiting it out until the U.S Supreme Court’s judgment was delivered today? Is it the disclosure by General Manoj Mukund Naravane? Is it the shadow of the Jeffrey Epstein files? Is it the U.S. criminal case involving Gautam Adani? Or is it all of the above? Today, the Congress has been redeemed: Narendra Modi is compromised,” Pawan Khera said on X.
Chidambaram seeks clarity on impact of US verdict
Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram questioned the Modi government over the implications of the US Supreme Court ruling on the recently announced trade framework between India and the United States.
Chidambaram had recently argued that if the US SC struck down Trump’s tariffs, the two countries would revert to the status quo ante, the position before April 2, 2025.
Referring to what he called ‘several concessions from India to the US’ under the recent trade deal framework, he wrote on X, “What will happen to those concessions?”
I wrote in my Sunday column on February 15, 2026 that if the Supreme Court struck down
President Trump’s imposition of tariffs, the result will be that the USA and India will revert to the status quo ante (before April 2, 2025)Meanwhile, the U.S. has extracted several…
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 20, 2026
Surjewala demands review of ‘one-sided’ trade framework
Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala called on the Modi government to review the US-India trade framework.
Citing the US Supreme Court judgment, Surjewala argued that subsequent tariff measures announced by Trump under Section 122 of the Trade Act, 1974, Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, 1962, and Section 301 of the Trade Act, 1974, appeared prima facie inapplicable to India.
He posed a series of questions to the government, “Are these tariffs sustainable viz a viz India? Can these tariff provisions be justifiably applied to India? Will these new tariffs still hold the US-India Trade Deal (Framework Agreement), which is being widely opposed by farmers, small and medium businesses, energy and data experts, and economists alike?
Surjewala further asked whether the government would now show the courage to walk out of the one-sided US-India Trade Deal.
Also read: ‘Nothing changes’ for India trade deal, says Donald Trump; calls PM Modi ‘a great gentleman’
Jairam Ramesh alleges ‘desperation’ behind Feb 2 deal
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also targeted the Prime Minister, describing the trade announcement as “desperate.”
He said, “What forced Prime Minister Modi to ensure President Trump announced the India-US trade deal in the night of February 2, 2026 Indian time? What had happened in the Lok Sabha that afternoon that had compelled Mr. Modi to get so desperate and reach out to his good friend in the White House to create a diversion?”
The Congress leader alleged that had the government waited 18 more days for the US Supreme Court’s verdict, Indian farmers and national interests could have been protected. “The India-US trade deal is really an ordeal that India is being subjected to by the Prime Minister’s desperation and surrender,” he said.
Yesterday after the US Supreme Court struck down his tariffs policy, President Trump declared that (i) Mr. Modi is his great friend; (ii) the India-US trade deal will continue as announced; (iii) he had personally halted Operation Sindoor on May 10 2025 by threatening to increase… pic.twitter.com/khzl8Pq32L
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) February 21, 2026