Ahead of talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US Vice-President JD Vance, the Congress on Sunday asked if the prime minister would convey India’s concerns on the manner in which Indian citizens were being deported and the “complete destruction” of the multilateral rules-based trading system anchored in the WTO. The opposition party also asked if the prime minister would convey India’s concerns at US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the WHO.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh asked in a social media post , if the prime minister would convey India’s concerns at the manner in which Indian citizens were being deported and Indian students made to live in an atmosphere of fear in the US after their parents spent their life savings to support their children’s education in America. Will the prime minister convey India’s concern at the complete destruction of the multilateral rules-based trading system anchored in the WTO, from which India has gained greatly, he asked. Ramesh further questioned if Modi would convey India’s concern at US withdrawal from the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement, “which is so very essential for managing global warming that threatens the livelihoods of crores of our people”. Will the prime minister convey India’s concern at the US withdrawal from the WHO, which plays an important role in global public health research and management, Ramesh further asked. He also asked if Modi would convey India’s determination to ensure that any further bilateral trade liberalisation did not adversely impact Indian farmers, industry, and MSMEs.
The US vice-president, his Indian-origin wife Usha and their three children -- Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel — are scheduled to land at the Palam airbase at 10 am on Monday on a four-day visit. Modi will host a dinner for Vance and Usha in the evening after holding talks with the American leader on a range of key issues, including trade, tariff, regional security and ways to expand the overall bilateral engagement.