'Looks like India's capital shifted from New Delhi to Washington DC...': KC Venugopal reacts to India-US deal

New Delhi: Congress MP KC Venugopal on Tuesday said that the party will question the recent announcement of the India-US trade deal, which was unilaterally made by US President Donald Trump. "One of the shocking incidents happened yesterday. The trade deal between India and the US was unilaterally announced by the US President. It had never happened in the history of India-US trade relations. We are going to raise this," he stated to ANI.

Earlier today, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that all the decisions made by India are being announced by US President Donald Trump instead of PM Modi himself, underlining that it affects the self-respect of the country.

Speaking on the India-US trade agreement, which reduced the tariff from a hefty 50 per cent to 18 per cent, he said, "Looking at recent events, it seems as if India's capital has shifted from New Delhi to Washington, DC, and PM Modi has gone on a long vacation. We are learning about all of India's decisions from Washington, DC, and its President Donald Trump, who is making the announcements... Prime Minister, your silence is troubling us. This is against the self-respect of the country, against its sovereignty, and against its glorious history. Take action and speak the truth; we want to hear it from you, in the Indian Parliament, and in the country's capital, Delhi."

Meanwhile, the Congress demanded the complete details of the India-US trade deal, raising questions over several key aspects such as the opening of the agriculture sector, the reduction of tariffs to "zero" and a pause on the purchase of Russian oil, as claimed by US President Donald Trump. In a post on X, Congress first questioned the manner of the deal announcement, then delved into the details shared by Donald Trump. The party said that reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers against the US to 'zero will "impact" India and also questioned how opening the agriculture sector would ensure the "security of farmers."

"Just like the ceasefire, the announcement of the trade deal was also made by US President Trump. It has been stated that the trade deal is being done 'on Modi's request'," Congress said.

"Trump says that India will move to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers against the United States to 'zero'. It seems India has agreed to completely open its market for America. This will impact the Indian industry, traders and farmers. There is talk of opening the agriculture sector for America in the statement as well. What exactly is the deal? How have the security and interests of our farmers been ensured?" they asked.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with India on Monday (local time), months after Washington imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods in August 2025.

Unveiled on Trump's social media platform Truth Social, the deal outlines significant tariff cuts and includes claims that India would halt Russian oil purchases. Earlier, Trump had levied a 50 per cent duty on India, with 25 per cent tied to crude imports from Russia, as administration officials asserted that India's oil buying supported Russia's war efforts.