Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday sharpened his criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after reports that the US Supreme Court struck down a key tariffs policy in the United States, tying the development to the ongoing political storm over the India-US trade agreement.
In a terse statement, Gandhi questioned the Prime Minister’s standing in trade negotiations. “The PM is compromised. His betrayal now stands exposed,” he said.
He went on to suggest that the government would be unable to revisit the terms of the pact. “He can’t renegotiate. He will surrender again,” the Congress leader added.
Gandhi’s remarks came amid escalating tensions between the ruling dispensation and the Indian National Congress over the recently announced trade deal. The Congress has consistently flagged concerns about the agreement’s timing, transparency, and content, particularly warning of its possible impact on farmers, small enterprises, and domestic manufacturing.
The reported US Supreme Court decision has added a fresh dimension to the debate, with opposition leaders questioning whether earlier trade decisions were shaped by external pressures. Congress leaders have called on the government to spell out the sequence of events leading to the agreement and to place the full details of negotiations with Washington in the public domain.
The government, for its part, has defended the trade pact as a measure aimed at expanding export markets, boosting investment flows, and deepening India’s economic and strategic engagement with the United States. Officials have maintained that adequate safeguards have been incorporated to protect sensitive sectors, including agriculture.
With Parliament set to reconvene in the coming fortnight and political rhetoric intensifying, Gandhi’s latest intervention underscores the opposition’s determination to keep the trade deal and questions of economic sovereignty at the centre of the national debate.