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The Indian National Congress has strongly criticized the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government following President Donald Trump’s announcement of a trade agreement with India. They are calling for full transparency, insisting India should share all details of the deal with Parliament and the public.
“The same way the ceasefire was announced by President Trump, the trade agreement was also revealed by him. It’s been claimed that the deal was made ‘at Modi’s request,'” the Congress stated on X (formerly Twitter) Tuesday.
This statement came a day after Trump declared a “trade deal” with India, involving a reduction in US tariffs on Indian imports from 25% to 18%, in exchange for India easing trade restrictions, halting Russian oil purchases, and increasing American oil imports—possibly from Venezuela as well.
Congress expressed concern that India appears to be opening its market extensively to the U.S., warning that this could negatively impact Indian industries, traders, and farmers. They also highlighted the language in Trump’s announcement suggesting possible access for American goods into India’s agriculture sector and questioned what safeguards have been put in place to protect Indian farmers.
“India might be opening its agriculture sector to America. What are the specifics of this deal? How have the interests and security of our farmers been protected?” the party queried.
They challenged claims that India would stop buying Russian oil, asking whether New Delhi has agreed to this condition, since reports indicate India will now buy oil from the U.S. and Venezuela instead.
The Congress also questioned the deal’s implications on domestic manufacturing, criticizing the potential increase in American imports and asking how this aligns with India’s “Make in India” initiative. They demanded a clear explanation of how this trade agreement fits with India’s industrial policies.
“The Indian people deserve to know the full details of this trade agreement,” the statement declared. “The Modi government must demonstrate transparency by sharing all information with Parliament and the nation.”
The Kerala chapter of Congress added, “Simply put, we will become an American colony,” criticizing the imbalance where the U.S. maintains an 18% tariff on Indian goods, while India imposes zero tariffs on American imports. They urged Modi to resign, calling his government’s actions unacceptable.
President Trump announced that the U.S. and India had reached a trade agreement following a phone call with Prime Minister Modi. Subsequently, Modi took to X to praise the tariff reduction.
“Great to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. I’m pleased that Made in India products will now face an 18% tariff,” Modi posted. “Many thanks to President Trump on behalf of India’s 1.4 billion people for this positive development.”
This agreement follows months of tense trade negotiations, including Trump doubling tariffs on Indian imports to 50% last August to pressure New Delhi to cease Russian oil purchases. Trump had also indicated that these tariffs could increase again if India did not curtail its Russian oil imports.
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