India-US trade deal: Congress asks government to take Parliament into confidence
On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, the Congress demanded that the Modi government take Parliament into confidence and that the text of both EU and US trade agreements be tabled and debated in both Houses.
Congress general secretary for communications Jairam Ramesh said it was very clear from the information provided by President Donald Trump that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “completely surrendered”.
He said that almost exactly a year ago, Prime Minister Modi descended on the White House to welcome President Trump’s re-election.
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“His trademark inclusiveness was on full display. India-US relations have never looked brighter. Negotiations for the trade deal began soon after. But ever since President Trump made the initial announcement of the discontinuation of Operation Sindoor on the evening of May 10, 2025, things started to deteriorate,” Mr. Ramesh said. X.
President Trump later said that by enthusiastically embracing Pakistan and Field Marshal Asim Munir, he had “revealed the emptiness of Mr. Modi’s arrogance.”
Mr. Ramesh pointed out that President Trump announced the trade deal very late last night, India time.
“From the information provided by President Trump, it is very clear that Prime Minister Modi has completely surrendered – as he did on May 10, 2025. He has certainly appeased President Trump. This unfortunate series of events is diminishing India,” he said.
Pointing out that Parliament was in session, Mr Ramesh said the text of both EU and US trade agreements should be tabled and discussed in both Houses, “especially since US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins issued a statement claiming that India had liberalized agricultural imports from the US”.
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Reacting to President Trump’s statement that the US and India had agreed on a trade deal, Mr Ramesh said on Monday night that the prime minister had “finally capitulated” and that it “cannot be the father of all deals”.
“Clearly” he said Mogambo Khush Hai“, a play on a popular dialogue from the 1987 Indian film “Mr. India”.
In a post XCongress lashed out at the government and said India had the right to know the details of the trade deal.
The party said, “Just like the ceasefire, the announcement of the trade agreement was made by US President Trump. It was stated that the trade agreement was made ‘at Modi’s request’.”
“Trump says India will take action to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers to the US to ‘zero’. It looks like India has agreed to fully open our market to America. This will impact Indian industry, traders and farmers,” he said.
Congress stated that the statement also mentioned the opening of the agricultural sector to America and asked what exactly the agreement was.
The party also asked how the safety and interests of our farmers were ensured.
Noting that it was also said that the Modi government would not buy oil from Russia, but would instead buy oil from America and Venezuela, the Congress asked whether the Modi government accepted this condition.
“There is also talk that more goods will be purchased from America. If this is the case, what happened to ‘Made in India’?” said the party.
“The Modi government should take Parliament and the entire country into confidence and share all the details,” he added.
On Monday, February 2, 2026, India and the US agreed to a trade deal under which Washington would reduce reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from the current 25%, Mr. Trump said after a phone call with Prime Minister Modi on Monday, February 2, 2026.
Prime Minister Modi said that he was pleased that “there will now be an 18% reduced customs duty on products manufactured in India.”
This comes after India and the European Union signed a landmark free trade agreement on January 27, billed as the “mother of all deals”, to create a market of two billion people, with Prime Minister Modi and top EU leadership announcing a transformative five-year agenda that will massively strengthen trade and defense to preserve the rules-based world order.
It was published – 03 February 2026 11:30 IST
