Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
New Delhi: A day after the much-awaited trade deal between India and the US was announced, the Opposition slammed the Narendra Modi government, with the Congress party posing several questions over the agreement and asking the Centre to divulge details of the pact.
India and the US agreed to a trade deal under which Washington will cut the reciprocal tariff on Indian goods to 18 per cent from the current 25 per cent, President Trump said on Monday after a phone conversation with Prime Minister Modi. The US has also scrapped the additional 25 per cent tariff imposed on India over its purchase of Russian oil, but official confirmation on this is awaited.
The Congress asked the Centre to take the Parliament and the entire country into confidence and share all the details of the deal. "India has the right to know details of the trade deal," it said in a post on X.
"Just like the ceasefire, the announcement of the trade deal was also made by US President Trump. It has been stated that the trade deal is being done 'on Modi's request'," the opposition party said.
Congress' tough questions for Modi govt
Quoting Trump, the Congress said that India will reduce tariff and non tariff barriers against the United States to ‘zero’ and asked if India has agreed to completely open its market for America. "This will impact Indian industry, traders and farmers," the party said.
It further pointed out that there is talk of opening the agriculture sector for America in the statement as well and asked what exactly the deal is and how the "security and interests of our farmers have been ensured."
The Congress party said also said that India has agreed to stop Russian oil purchases as per Trump's statement and asked if New Delhi but will buy crude oil from America and Venezuela instead. "Has the Modi government agreed to this condition?" it asked.
The Congress further said that the deal also talks about buying more goods from America and said if "that is the case, then what happened to 'Make in India'."
Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari also slammed the Centre and asked what has happened to India's strategic economy.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra also targeted the Modi government and said Prime Minister Modi has given many firsts to India. She said that the announcement of the deal by Trump is "certainly a first."
India and US trade deal
Prime Minister Modi on Monday said that he was delighted that "Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent." "Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement," PM Modi said.
"President Trump's leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace," he said on X, without mentioning many of the other issues that figured in Trump's post on social media.
Trump said India will move forward to reduce "tariffs and non tariff barriers" against the US to zero, adding New Delhi would buy American goods, including energy, technology, and agricultural, worth more than USD 500 billion.
"Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a trade deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced reciprocal tariff, lowering it from 25 per cent to 18 per cent," the US President said on social media.
India-US ties turn sour
Trump and PM Modi held several rounds of negotiations to materialise the trade deal, but the talks hit a roadblock after Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, including the 25 per cent punitive tariffs for India's procurement of Russian crude oil. The additional tariff also turned ties between India and the US sour.
