New Delhi, Feb 4 (UNI) Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday sharply questioned the Modi government over the absence of any concrete details of the purported India-US trade deal, 36 hours after US President Donald Trump claimed it had been announced and brought into force immediately at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s request.
“Thirty-six hours have passed since President Trump made this extraordinary claim, and yet there is not a shred of official information in the public domain,” Ramesh said in a post on X. “Spin doctors are working overtime, but we still don’t know what this deal is, what its terms are, or whether it even formally exists.”
Ramesh pointed out that there has been no joint statement, no text of an agreement, and no briefing from negotiating teams on either side. “For a supposedly concluded trade deal, the silence is deafening,” he said. “This is not how serious international agreements are announced or implemented.”
The Congress leader said that while details remain elusive, one aspect appears increasingly clear. “What is evident is that India has made concessions on the liberalisation of agricultural imports, a long-standing demand of the United States,” he said, warning that such steps could have serious implications for Indian farmers.
Describing the episode as politically driven, Ramesh said responsibility for the premature announcement lay squarely with the Prime Minister. “It is absolutely clear that Mr. Modi pushed through this announcement. The question that must be asked is: why the haste?” he said.
According to Ramesh, there are at least three possible explanations. First, he said, the Prime Minister was keen to project closeness and momentum in relations with Washington. “Optics seems to have taken precedence over substance,” he remarked.
Second, he suggested that allowing President Trump to announce the deal helped the government avoid immediate domestic scrutiny. “By keeping everything vague, the government delays debate — particularly on sensitive agricultural concessions that could provoke strong opposition,” Ramesh said.
Third, he argued that the announcement may have been intended to ease pressure from the US administration. “Once the US President publicly declares that a deal exists, it becomes politically harder for his government to escalate trade threats against India,” he said.
Ramesh demanded full transparency, calling on the government to place all details of the purported agreement before Parliament. “Trade policy cannot be conducted through claims and counter-claims,” he said. “Indian farmers, businesses and citizens deserve to know what commitments have been made in their name.”
The government has so far not released any official document or detailed clarification on the scope, timing or legal status of the India-US trade deal cited by President Trump. UNI SKA AAB