'Modi's Desperation Compromised India's Sovereignty', Says Jairam Ramesh On India-US Trade Deal

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of surrendering before US President Donald Trump over the India-US trade deal. He asserted if the Prime Minister had not been so desperate, India's sovereignty would have been protected.

The statement of the senior Congress leader came a day after the grand old party announced to hold a nationwide campaign against the India-US Trade deal. Referring to US Supreme Court striking down President Trump's powers to impose tariffs, Ramesh said, "Yesterday after the US Supreme Court struck down his tariffs policy, President Trump declared that Modi is his great friend, and the India-US trade deal will continue as announced."

He alleged that Trump had personally halted Operation Sindoor on May 10 last year by threatening to increase tariffs on Indian exports to the US. Giving a chronology of the India-US Trade Deal, the senior Congress leader wrote on X, "On February 2, President Trump was the first to announce that the India-US had been finalised and saying that out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a trade deal between the US and India."

Ramesh, who is also the Congress' General Secretary in-charge of Communications posed questions to the Prime Minister over the India-US trade deal.

"What forced Prime Minister Modi to ensure President Trump announced the India-US trade deal in the night of February 2, Indian time? What had happened in the Lok Sabha that afternoon that compelled Modi to get so desperate and reach out to his good friend in the White House to create a diversion?," he questioned.

The MP asserted if the Prime Minister had not been so desperate to protect his fragile image and waited just 18 days more, Indian farmers would have been saved their agony and distress and Indian sovereignty would have been protected. He opined that the India-US trade deal is really an ordeal that India is being subjected to by the Prime Minister’s "desperation and surrender".

Echoing similar sentiments, senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala in a social media post wrote,

"In a landmark judgment on February 20 , the US Supreme Court has quashed President Trump’s powers to impose tariffs. The court held that International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), 1977, does not authorise the President to impose tariffs.The Presidential powers to impose tariffs under IEEPA have been clearly set aside."

Mentioning about the India-US Trade Deal, he said ,"The fate of the US-India Trade Deal, ‘Framework Agreement’, executed in a great hurry by the Modi Government, is now under a serious cloud." Surjewala also posed a volley of questions to the ruling dispensation over the trade deal.

"Why did the Modi government suddenly rush to execute the US–India Trade Deal on February 6, despite full knowledge that the US Supreme Court had heard the issue of quashing the President’s powers to impose tariffs on November 5 and a judgment on the same was awaited?

Why did the Government of India not await the outcome of the judgment of the US Supreme Court for quashing the Presidential powers to impose tariffs?," the senior Congress leader questioned.

He further said, "Once the powers of the US President to impose tariffs under the IEEPA have been quashed by the US Supreme Court, what is the sanctity of the 'forcibly imposed' US– India Trade Deal ? Will the Modi government now annul/cancel the Trade Deal?6.Will the Modi Government now declare that it is no longer under an obligation to import US$ 500 billion worth of American goods (Rs 45 lakh crore) over the next five years on zero tarrif and thereby protect Indian manufacturers and industry?."

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday held meeting with senior party leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra and discussed over the India-US Trade Deal. The party announced to organise a series of Kisan Sammelans, staring from Bhopal on February 24.

Also Read

'PM Completely Surrendered To Appease Trump': Congress Slams Govt On India-US Trade Deal