Hours after US President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with India, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday criticised Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and the Centre, claiming that New Delhi now gets to know about key national decisions from the United States. The Congress leader claimed that details of Prime Minister Modi's conversation with Trump were first disclosed not by the Indian government but by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor. Dubbing this as "Trump-nirbharta", he cited the US President's announcement during Operation Sindoor last year as another example. "It seems that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump spoke to each other today. This information has been provided not by the Indian side but by the US Ambassador to India. This now seems to be the routine - India gets to know of its Govt's actions only from President Trump or his appointees. Trump-nirbharta," Ramesh wrote in a post on X. In another post on X, made after Trump announced the trade deal but before Prime Minister Modi issued a statement, Ramesh referred to Operation Sindoor. He recalled that Trump had claimed he played a key role in de-escalating tensions between India and Pakistan during the operation, a claim the Indian government has denied, maintaining that no third party was involved. Ramesh further took a jibe at the Prime Minister, suggesting that these instances showed Trump had leverage over Modi.
'Did India outsource its trade announcements?' Congress
On the other hand, Congress Rajya Sabha MP and advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi questioned the Centre, asking, "When did India outsource its trade announcements?"
"Trade deal announced...by Washington! Tariffs down from 25 per cent to 18 per cent. India to buy US energy, tech, agri & coal. One small constitutional question remains: When did India outsource its trade announcements? Official word from Saheb still awaited," the Congress MP wrote.
Trump announced a trade deal with India on Monday, months after Washington imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods in August 2025. Unveiled on Trump's social media platform Truth Social, the deal outlines significant tariff cuts and includes claims that India would halt Russian oil purchases. Earlier, Trump had levied a 50 per cent duty on India, with 25 per cent tied to crude imports from Russia, as administration officials asserted that India's oil buying supported Russia's war efforts.
(With agency inputs)
