Congress Takes Swipe at PM Modi, Calls US Stance ‘Silly’ After India-US Trade Deal Misses Deadline

The Congress on Friday mounted a sharp political attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and criticised the United States after remarks by U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested that India missed out on a bilateral trade deal due to the absence of direct leadership-level engagement.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh shared a video on social media taking a Bollywood-style jibe at the Prime Minister, remarking that the once-public warmth between New Delhi and Washington appeared to have faded. His comments came amid growing political reactions in India to the U.S. official’s statement.

However, the party also offered a measured defence of India’s diplomatic approach. Senior Congress MP Manish Tewari rejected the suggestion that major international trade agreements depend on personal phone calls between leaders, calling such an approach “silly” and “unbecoming of serious diplomacy.”

Tewari stressed that India and the United States share a long-standing strategic and civilisational partnership that goes far beyond individual administrations. He added that reducing complex trade negotiations to personal outreach overlooks India’s broader role in the Asia-Pacific region and global geopolitics.

The controversy followed comments by Lutnick on a U.S. business podcast, where he claimed the India-U.S. trade deal could not be concluded because Prime Minister Modi did not personally call U.S. President Donald Trump. Lutnick said that early movers in Trump’s trade strategy benefited from better terms, while delays resulted in steeper tariffs.

Despite several rounds of negotiations since early 2025, the two sides have been unable to finalise a trade agreement. In the absence of a deal, higher U.S. tariffs on Indian goods, including penalties linked to India’s purchase of Russian energy, continue to remain in force. The episode has reignited debate in India over diplomatic style versus institutional negotiations, with the opposition questioning both Washington’s framing of the issue and the political messaging surrounding India-U.S. relations.