The Congress on Friday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi after US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated that India missed out on a trade deal with the United States due to a lack of direct engagement at the leadership level.
In a post on
pic.twitter.com/ofy0ML28bx— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 9, 2026
Echoing similar sentiments, Congress leader Pawan Khera targeted Prime Minister Modi, questioning, “What happened to the (India-US) trade deal?”
“What happened to the (India-US) trade deal? Every day, US President Donald Trump is insulting our Prime Minister and our country, but we are sitting quietly…If anyone is countering Donald Trump, it is only the Opposition,” Khera said.
What Did Howard Lutnick Say?
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, during an interview on a podcast, said that the India-US trade deal failed because Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not call President Donald Trump to secure it. He added that although the Trump administration was keen to finalise an early agreement with India, New Delhi “couldn’t get it done when they needed to”.
Trump has imposed a 50% tariff on India over what are claimed to be unfair trade practices and another 25% over New Delhi’s buying of oil from Russia. After the tariffs, several rounds of talks have taken place between the two countries; however, neither country has reached an agreement.
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