‘Trade deal or Adani deal?’ Rahul Gandhi targets PM Modi over US case reports

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the recently signed Indo-US trade agreement was aimed at securing relief for billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani in a US legal case.

Reacting to reports that the US government has agreed to settle a lawsuit linked to alleged bribery accusations against Adani, Rahul Gandhi claimed the prime minister had compromised national interests.

“Compromised PM did not strike a trade deal, but a bargain for Adani’s release,” Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also targeted the Centre, alleging that the Indo-US trade pact was “hopelessly one-sided” and served American interests more than India’s.

“It is now clear why the PM agreed to the hopelessly one-sided Indo-US trade deal that was really a steal by the US,” Ramesh wrote on X.

He further linked the issue to the government’s handling of Operation Sindoor, claiming the prime minister acted under pressure from US President Donald Trump.

“He abruptly halted Operation Sindoor on 10 May 2025, acting on President Trump’s threats rather than on our national interest,” Ramesh alleged. “How much more compromised can the PM get?” he added.

The controversy stems from a lawsuit filed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in late 2024 against Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani, a director at Adani Green Energy.

According to the complaint, the Adanis allegedly agreed to pay nearly USD 265 million in bribes to Indian government officials between 2020 and 2024 to secure solar energy supply contracts projected to generate around USD 2 billion in profits over 20 years.

The SEC also alleged that the Adani Group raised nearly USD 2 billion through loans and bonds, including from US investors, while making misleading statements regarding anti-bribery compliance and corporate governance practices.

The ports-to-energy conglomerate has strongly denied all allegations.

The Congress attack followed reports that the US administration is considering settling or dropping parts of the legal proceedings involving Adani.

The development has triggered fresh political sparring in India, with the Opposition accusing the Centre of protecting corporate interests, while the government has not officially responded to the allegations made by Congress leaders.

With PTI inputs