NEW DELHI : The Congress on Sunday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s remarks that India has committed to purchasing USD 500 billion worth of American goods over the next five years, alleging that the “compromised PM” was going the extra mile to appease his “good friend”. Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, also asked why the Modi government had not shown the courage to renounce what he termed an “anti-people” and “dangerous” India-US trade deal, as countries such as Malaysia had done. He also questioned why the Modi government had agreed to record imports from the US when the prime minister had on record asked citizens to cut down on domestic fuel consumption and overseas travel to save foreign exchange. Will this surge in imports not further cause the rupee to depreciate, he further asked. “At 5:37 PM IST on May 10 2025, it was US Secretary of State Marco Rubio who first made the announcement of the ceasefire that brought Operation Sindoor to an unexpected halt. He had claimed that it was intervention by President Trump that made the ceasefire possible,” Ramesh said on X. On May 21, 2026, Rubio was again the very first to announce that the President of Venezuela would be visiting India next week, he said, adding that this was even before India and Venezuela had even hinted or confirmed the news. “Today, Mr. Rubio has once again shocked the country by making a statement on X that the Modi Government has committed to purchasing USD 500 billion in U.S. goods over the next five years, focusing on energy, technology, and agriculture,” Ramesh said. India’s current yearly imports are USD 52.9 billion as of FY26, and Rubio’s statement implies that India will have to double its annual imports from the US, he said. “We have five straight questions for the Prime Minister on this new development — Countries like Malaysia have declared their trade agreements with the US ‘null and void’ after the US Supreme Court ruling, which struck down the Trump tariffs that formed the backdrop to these agreements. “The Indo-US trade deal, signed in a hurry by the PM while he was under pressure from Rahul Gandhi’s expose in Parliament, saw the Modi Government unilaterally make enormous concessions that threaten our farmers and industries,” he said. “The logic of this deal has now collapsed after the US Supreme Court’s verdict striking down the tariffs. Why has the Modi Government not had the courage to renounce this anti-people, dangerous trade deal like Malaysia and other countries have?” Ramesh said. He pointed out that the prime minister himself urged citizens to reduce fuel consumption and overseas travel to save foreign exchange. “Why has the Modi Government simultaneously agreed to record imports from the US at the same time?” he asked. Ramesh said the Indian rupee has lost 12 per cent of its value against the US dollar over the past 12 months. Will this surge in imports from the US not further cause the rupee to depreciate, he asked. “Last week, the Trump administration dismissed the criminal fraud charges against Mr Adani in the solar energy scam where Mr. Adani reportedly paid bribes for USD 265 million. Is Mr. Modi’s capitulation to the US on imports linked to the relief provided to the Modani empire by Mr. Trump?” he said. “Why is all the communication on Indian foreign policy — from the Operation Sindoor ceasefire and the halting of Russian oil and gas imports, to the Indo-US trade deal and the visit of the Venezuelan President — now coming first from Washington DC instead of New Delhi?” Ramesh said. Why have the prime minister and Foreign Affairs Minister S Jaishanka renounced their responsibility to communicate to the Indian people and to the world the foreign policy of our sovereign state, Ramesh asked. “It appears that the compromised Prime Minister is keen on going the extra mile to appease and please his good friend,” the Congress leader said, taking a swipe at the PM. Ramesh’s remarks came hours after Rubio, in a post on X, said, “Huge thanks to @USAmbIndia Sergio Gor and our American diplomats for their efforts. Because of their great work, India has committed to purchasing $500 billion in U.S. goods over the next five years, focusing on energy, technology, and agriculture.” “They’re doing terrific work on behalf of President Trump and the American people!” Rubio said. Prime Minister Modi on Saturday said India and the US will continue to work closely for the global good. Rubio, who met Modi shortly after landing in New Delhi, invited the prime minister on behalf of President Donald Trump to visit the White House in the “near future”, as the top American diplomat described India as the “cornerstone” of Washington’s approach towards the Indo-Pacific. On Sunday, Rubio held talks with Jaishankar here and said that relations between India and the US have not lost momentum. (Source: PTI)
