New Delhi, Feb 2 (PTI) The Congress took a swipe at the Narendra Modi government on Monday after President Donald Trump announced that the US and India have agreed to a trade deal, saying it appears the prime minister has “capitulated finally” and that this “cannot be the father of all deals”.
India and the US agreed to a trade deal under which Washington will bring down the reciprocal tariff on Indian goods to 18 per cent from the current 25 per cent, Trump said on Monday after a phone conversation with PM Modi.
On his part, PM Modi said he was delighted that “made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent”.
This came after India and the European Union, on January 27, sealed a landmark free trade agreement — billed as the “mother of all deals” — to create a market of two billion people, with PM Modi and the top EU leadership unveiling a transformative five-year agenda to largely leverage trade and defence in protecting the rules-based world order.
Reacting to Monday’s developments, Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said that in Washington, “clearly Mogambo Khush Hai”, a play on a popular dialogue from the 1987 Hindi movie Mr India.
“He (Trump) announced the halt of Operation Sindoor from Washington DC. He announced the updates on India’s oil purchases from Russia and Venezuela from Washington. He’s now announced an India-US Trade Deal from Washington, the full details of which are awaited,” Ramesh said in a post on X.
“President Trump clearly seems to have some leverage over Prime Minister Modi — who is now mortified of even being seen with him, let alone engaging in the usual bout of hugs. It appears Mr Modi has capitulated finally. Surely this cannot be the father of all deals,” he said.
Earlier, the Congress took a swipe at the government after the US ambassador to New Delhi confirmed that President Trump has spoken with Prime Minister Modi, saying it now seems to be a routine that India gets to know of its government’s actions only from Trump or his appointees.
In a social media post, US Ambassador Segio Gor said Trump spoke with Modi on Monday. “President Trump just spoke with Prime Minister Modi. STAY TUNED,” Gor said in the post.
Reacting to the development, Ramesh said, “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 government’s actions only from President Trump or his appointees. Trump-nirbharta,” the Congress leader said on X. PTI ASK NSD NSD
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