In a fresh political offensive, Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday launched a blistering critique of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the ongoing Indo-US trade negotiations. Gandhi alleged that Modi would ultimately concede to the July 9 tariff deadline set by US President Donald Trump, despite the strong rhetoric from the government.
The controversy revolves around a proposed trade deal between India and the United States that has seen repeated delays over sensitive issues such as agricultural imports, dairy access, and tariffs on labour-intensive Indian exports.
Responding to Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal's remarks that India will not accept any trade deal under pressure, Gandhi posted on X (formerly Twitter), claiming the prime minister lacks the will to resist Trump’s tough stance. "Piyush Goyal can beat his chest all he wants, mark my words, Modi will meekly bow to the Trump tariff deadline," Gandhi wrote, adding political heat to the already tense atmosphere surrounding the deal.
On Friday, Goyal insisted that India’s economic interests remain paramount. “National interest should always be supreme. Keeping that in mind, if a deal is made, then India is always ready to deal with developed countries,” the Union Minister said. He further reiterated that a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) would only be signed if it was beneficial to both nations and qualified as a “win-win” for all stakeholders.
The deal, which reportedly aims to remove or reduce reciprocal tariffs, has been stuck over multiple sticking points. These include American demands for greater access to India’s dairy and agriculture sectors, which are politically sensitive and employ millions. India, in return, has sought reduced tariffs on exports such as textiles, jewellery, and pharmaceuticals.
US President Donald Trump had earlier imposed a 26% duty on select Indian goods under his “reciprocal tariff” framework, temporarily suspending the order for 90 days to allow space for negotiations. That grace period ends on July 9.
