Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi following a claim by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, stating that an India–United States trade agreement could not be concluded due to discomfort at the leadership level. Ramesh shared his remarks on social media along with a Hindi verse.
According to Howard Lutnick, negotiations on a trade agreement between India and the United States had been completed and the structure of the deal was ready. Speaking on the ‘All-In Podcast’, Lutnick said the agreement required engagement at the leadership level in its final stage, as it was a decision to be taken by the US President.
Lutnick stated that while all preparations were in place, Prime Minister Modi did not make a phone call to then US President Donald Trump, which he described as necessary to conclude the deal. He said that during the same week, the United States finalised new trade agreements with Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Lutnick said these agreements were part of President Trump’s trade strategy, under which countries that came forward earlier received more favourable terms, while those that followed later faced higher rates.
He further said that during negotiations on the first trade agreement with the United Kingdom, questions were repeatedly raised about which country would be next, and India’s name came up multiple times. He described this approach as a “step-by-step” model, under which India had the opportunity to secure the deal but required leadership-level contact for the final step.
Commenting on these claims, Ramesh criticised the Union government’s foreign policy and leadership approach. He described the issue as reflecting broader questions about India’s foreign policy direction and leadership, and shared a Hindi verse on social media expressing disillusionment over the state of the India–US relationship.
