‘No More Hugs’: Jairam Ramesh Mocks PM Modi–Trump Ties After Trade Deal Collapse
Congress slams Modi-Trump ties after US blames missed call for trade failure.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pointing to the evident strain in personal diplomacy with US President Donald Trump after it emerged that a bilateral trade deal collapsed due to the lack of a direct phone call from Modi.
In a widely circulated social media post featuring a video of US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's podcast comments, Ramesh used adapted Bollywood lyrics to highlight betrayal: “No more hugs, no more posts,” followed by “See what has become of things, in your unfaithful friendship,” directly ridiculing the once-high-profile embraces, joint rallies such as Howdy Modi and Namaste Trump, and mutual social media praise between the leaders.
This sarcastic reference, inspired by classic Hindi film songs, reinforces the opposition's claim of declining India-US relations during Modi's tenure, suggesting that the much-publicized personal rapport has proven unreliable and inadequate for protecting national interests against rising tariffs and failed negotiations.
While Ramesh's mockery captured significant attention, Congress MP Manish Tewari offered a more restrained response, rejecting the American focus on personal phone calls as an "imbecile approach" to diplomacy and calling on the Trump administration to acknowledge India's lasting strategic importance in the Asia-Pacific region, a factor consistent across multiple US governments.
The dispute arises from Lutnick's January 8, 2026 podcast statement revealing that a ready trade agreement fell through because Indian officials were uneasy about the expectation for Modi to personally call Trump to finalize it, prompting the US to secure agreements with countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam on increasingly unfavorable terms, while India continues to face high tariffs, including a 50 percent rate partially tied to purchases of Russian energy.
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