The Congress party sharply criticized the Modi government on Monday, asserting that the anticipated trade agreement with the United States has devolved into a significant burden for India, exacerbating export declines and livelihood losses. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh highlighted the abandonment of India hosting the Quad Summit in November 2025 and the stalled trade negotiations, contrasting earlier assurances with current economic setbacks.
Ramesh pointed to United States President Donald Trump's repeated assertion—marking the 57th instance—that he intervened to halt the India-Pakistan conflict through trade leverage, including a video where Trump claimed tariffs prevented a nuclear war. Trump recounted threatening both nations with loss of US business access, prompting a swift ceasefire announced from Washington rather than New Delhi.
India has consistently affirmed that the ceasefire was secured through direct communications between the Directors General of Military Operations of both countries, rejecting external mediation claims. The Congress has underscored Prime Minister Narendra Modi's continued silence on Trump's narratives, previously describing it as a diminishment of the administration's projected strength.
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The opposition linked these developments to broader trade challenges, noting diminishing exports to the United States amid protracted negotiations that have failed to materialize into the promised early agreement. This critique aligns with Congress's ongoing scrutiny of foreign policy achievements and their domestic economic implications.
As bilateral relations face scrutiny, the episode underscores tensions in India-US engagements, with the Congress positioning the trade deal's complications and Trump's assertions as evidence of diplomatic and economic mismanagement under the current administration.
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