As Rubio announces India's $500 bn trade commitment, Cong targets Modi

The Congress on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that India had committed to purchasing USD 500 billion worth of American goods over the next five years, asking why major developments relating to India’s foreign policy and trade commitments were increasingly being announced from Washington rather than New Delhi.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP and general-secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh alleged that the “compromised Prime Minister” was “going the extra mile to appease and please his good friend” and questioned why the Modi government had not withdrawn what he described as an “anti-people” and “dangerous” India-US trade agreement.

In a series of questions directed at the prime minister, Ramesh also asked why the government had allegedly agreed to record imports from the US when Modi himself had urged Indians to cut fuel consumption and overseas travel to conserve foreign exchange.

He further questioned whether a sharp rise in imports from the US could worsen pressure on the rupee, which he noted had depreciated by 12 per cent against the dollar over the past year.

“At 5:37 PM IST on May 10, 2025, it was US Secretary of State Marco Rubio who first announced the ceasefire that brought Operation Sindoor to an unexpected halt,” Ramesh said in a post on X, referring to earlier criticism by the Congress over foreign policy communication.

He also claimed that Rubio had been the first to announce the Venezuelan president’s proposed visit to India earlier this month, before either New Delhi or Caracas had officially confirmed it.

“Today, Mr Rubio has once again shocked the country” by claiming that the Modi government had committed to purchasing USD 500 billion in US goods over the next five years, focused on energy, technology and agriculture, Ramesh said.

Noting that India’s current annual imports from the US stood at USD 52.9 billion in FY26, Ramesh argued that Rubio’s statement implied India would have to substantially increase yearly imports from America.

The Congress leader said the logic underpinning the India-US trade agreement had weakened after what he described as a US Supreme Court ruling striking down the Trump tariffs that formed the backdrop to such arrangements.

“Why has the Modi Government not had the courage to renounce this anti-people, dangerous trade deal like Malaysia and other countries have?” he asked.

Ramesh also sought to link the reported import commitment to recent developments involving industrialist Gautam Adani, pointing to the Trump administration’s reported move last week to drop criminal fraud charges linked to a solar energy case. “Is Mr Modi’s capitulation to the US on imports linked to the relief provided to the Modani empire by Mr Trump?” he asked.

Questioning the government’s communication strategy, Ramesh said key announcements — from the Operation Sindoor ceasefire and the reported halting of Russian oil and gas imports to trade negotiations and diplomatic visits — appeared to be reaching the public first through Washington.

“Why is all the communication on Indian foreign policy now coming first from Washington DC instead of New Delhi?” he asked.

The Congress leader also targeted PM Modi and external affairs minister S. Jaishankar, asking why they had “renounced their responsibility” to explain the foreign policy of “our sovereign state” to the country and the world.

Ramesh’s remarks came hours after Rubio said in a post on X that India had committed to purchasing USD 500 billion in US goods over five years.

“Huge thanks to @USAmbIndia Sergio Gor and our American diplomats for their efforts. Because of their great work, India has committed to purchasing USD 500 billion in U.S. goods over the next five years, focusing on energy, technology, and agriculture,” Rubio wrote.

PM Modi on Saturday said India and the US would continue to work closely for the global good. Rubio, who met Modi shortly after arriving in New Delhi, invited the prime minister on behalf of President Donald Trump to visit the White House in the “near future”, describing India as the “cornerstone” of Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy.

On Sunday, Rubio also held talks with Jaishankar and said India-US relations continued to retain momentum.

With PTI inputs