'No deal but US steal': Cong's dig at govt over Indo-US trade agreement

New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the India-US interim trade agreement, saying the deal is a steal by the "PM's good friend in Washington" and reflects an "abject failure" of our "political huglomacy" as well as economic diplomacy.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said no matter what spin the "PM and his lie-brigade" may give, the hard reality is that the US has extracted more from India than it has conceded.

"It is significant that a number of independent analysts and commentators -- who have not been Modi-unfriendly -- have criticised the India-US trade deal as a capitulation, an asymmetrical set of commitments, a sell-out, and a humiliating cave-in," Ramesh said.

"Whatever the spin that the PM and his lie-brigade may give, the hard reality is that the US has extracted more from India than it has conceded. This is inspite of Mr. Modi's aggressive wooing of President Trump, including campaigning for him in September 2019," the Congress leader said.

PM Modi also managed to be among the first to greet the re-elected President Trump in February 2025, he pointed out.

The prime minister's public demonstrations of his personal friendship with President Trump have not yielded the desired results, Ramesh said.

President Trump too has given full expression to his friendship with Modi but while doing so has dealt India big blows, he claimed.

"This is an abject failure of our political huglomacy and economic diplomacy. The spin will, of course, continue. But facts are facts. The trade deal is a steal -- by the PM's good friend in Washington who has also claimed close to hundred times that he halted Operation Sindoor on May 10, 2025," Ramesh said.

The Congress on Tuesday claimed the India-US trade deal is not a "calibrated opening", but a "coerced opening" and India has been "forced to concede" more than what it has got.

In a post on X, Ramesh had said, "It did not take long for President Trump and his team to puncture the tall claims being made by the PM and his many megaphones on the Indo-US trade deal." Clearly, the US' understanding of the deal is very different from the propaganda that is being put out by the Modi government, he had said.

"This is not a calibrated opening but a coerced opening. India has been forced to concede more than what it has got. And now our much-touted advantage over Bangladesh in textile exports to the US has vanished with the details of the US-Bangladesh trade deal also having just been announced," Ramesh had said in his post on Tuesday evening.

Last week, India and the US announced in a joint statement the framework for an interim agreement regarding reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade. Under this, the US has agreed to reduce the 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent.

It has already eliminated the punitive 25 per cent tariff on India, which was imposed in August last year for purchasing Russian crude.

The Congress has alleged that the interim Indo-US trade pact is "not a deal but a surrender" of the country's self-esteem and interests, and is a betrayal of India and its people.