Congress questions Modi Govt over US trade agreement
Congress on Saturday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the interim trade agreement with the US, claiming the deal is against India’s interests, and that all the “huglomacy and photo-ops” have not amounted to much.
Slamming the Government, the Opposition party cited a White House release which said the US will now monitor whether India is importing oil from Russia, and said, “Naam Narender, Kaam Surrender”.
Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, said the US-India joint statement just issued is silent on details. “But from what has been revealed, it is clear that: India will no longer import oil from Russia. Separately, the US has announced that a 25 per cent penalty could be reimposed if India buys oil directly or indirectly from Russia,” Ramesh said on X.
It has also been revealed that India will slash import duties to help American farmers at the cost of Indian farmers, Ramesh claimed. “India’s annual imports from the USA will triple, wiping out our longstanding goods trade surplus. There will continue to be great uncertainty on India’s exports of IT and other services to the US. India’s exports of goods to the US will face higher duties than before,” Ramesh said.
“All the hugs and photo-ops have not amounted to much. Namaste Trump has scored over Howdy Modi,” the Congress leader said, adding, “Dost dost na raha”, taking a cue from Mukesh’s iconic song from the 1964 film “Sangam”.
In another post on X, Ramesh said, “The US will now monitor whether India is importing oil from Russia. If the US decides India has imported Russian oil directly or indirectly, the extra 25 per cent tariff penalty is back. This is truly extraordinary. And we have accepted it! Naam Narender, Kaam Surrender.”
The US has said that India has committed to stop directly or indirectly importing Russian oil, following which the additional 25 per cent tariffs imposed by America on Indian goods will be removed effective February 7.
The Congress leader also said that he feels the deal is stacked very heavily against India. Trump’s announcement of the deal showed that it was done at India’s request, he claimed. “For all the huglomacy that Mr Modi has indulged in, all the photo-ops he has got with President Trump, the trade deal is frankly not something that we can say has furthered our interests. We will import more from America, that is 100 per cent certain,” Ramesh said.
India and the US on Saturday announced that they have reached a framework for an interim trade agreement under which both sides will reduce import duties on a number of goods to boost two-way trade.
India-US Trade Deal to Benefit Nation: BJP
New Delhi: BJP on Saturday said the India-US trade deal will “significantly” benefit the country and slammed the Congress for claiming that the odds are “stacked heavily against India”, accusing the Opposition party of always opposing the country’s economic growth.
The ruling party’s retort came after the Congress took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the interim trade agreement with the United States, claiming that under the deal, the odds are stacked heavily against India and all the “huglomacy and photo-ops” have not amounted to much.
Hitting back at Congress, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari claimed that the Congress is clearly uncomfortable seeing India emerge as a global deal-maker under Modi’s leadership. “Why does Congress always oppose the progress of India’s MSMEs, farmers, and the growth of the Indian economy?” Bhandari asked in a post on X.
“Congress cannot digest that under PM Narendra Modi, India has sealed both the ‘Mother of all Deals’ with the EU and now the ‘Father of all Deals’ with the USA, creating a $30-trillion economic opportunity for our farmers, exporters, and MSMEs,” the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said. BJP spokesperson SambitPatra said the agreement will significantly benefit the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), farmers and fishermen, while creating new employment opportunities for women and youngsters across the country.
“Under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi, India has reached a framework for an Interim Trade Agreement with the United States, opening access to a nearly $30 trillion market for Indian exporters,” he said. Patra said a major outcome of the framework is the reduction of reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent, along with a zero-tariff access in key sectors, such as generic pharmaceuticals, gems and diamonds and aircraft parts.
“Together, these steps strengthen India’s export competitiveness, boost Make in India and expand opportunities for sectors ranging from textiles and leather to chemicals, machinery and artisanal products,” he said.
The BJP leader further said that equally important is the clear protection extended to India’s sensitive agriculture and dairy sectors, ensuring that farmers’ interests and rural livelihoods remain fully safeguarded even as the global trade expands.
“This agreement reflects the growing strength of India-US economic partnership and a shared commitment to sustainable growth, innovation and prosperity for our people as we move forward on the path of Viksit Bharat,” he added.
