![\"\u2018People](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/congress-chief-kharge-ani.jpg\" "\\"<p>File")
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File photo: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge (Picture credit: ANI)<\/p>\n
NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge<\/a> on Wednesday raised questions over the way the India\u2013US trade deal was announced, saying the government had failed to take Parliament and the public into confidence despite the House being in session.In a post on X, Kharge said India and the United States have shared a strong global strategic partnership for several years, rooted in common democratic values. <\/p>\n Piyush Goyal Defends India-US Trade Deal in Lok Sabha, Says Farmers And Dairy Interests Fully Safe<\/p>\n He pointed to the Indo\u2013US civil nuclear agreement signed during the tenure of former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh as an example of transparent and accountable decision-making. Kharge said the Congress-led UPA government had kept Parliament informed at every stage while finalising that landmark deal.He contrasted this with the present situation, saying the country knows \u201cnothing\u201d about the trade agreement announced by US President Donald Trump. Kharge noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s public response focused only on thanking Trump for cutting tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent, without offering any details of the deal itself.\u201cParliament is in session, but the Modi government chose an outside platform to talk about the deal, without sharing any specifics,\u201d Kharge said in his post.India and the United States enjoy a comprehensive global strategic<\/p>\n partnership driven by shared values since several years now. <\/p>\n The Indo-US Nuclear Deal signed under Former PM, Dr Manmohan Singh was a prime example of our commitment to mutual progress. <\/p>\n The Congress-UPA Govt\u2026<\/p>\n \u2014 Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) February 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The Congress chief flagged three major concerns that, according to him, remain unanswered. He asked whether India had made any compromises under pressure from the United States and whether New Delhi had agreed to zero tariffs on American imports, as claimed by President Trump. Kharge also sought clarity on the impact of the deal on Indian farmers, questioning whether the agriculture sector had been fully or partially opened to US agricultural products.In addition, he raised concerns about energy ties with Moscow, asking whether India would stop buying oil from Russia and what message, if any, had been conveyed to the Russian side. The Kremlin stated on Tuesday that it has not received any official communication from New Delhi regarding the suspension of crude oil trade.\u201cParliament and 140 crore people of India have the right to know,\u201d Kharge said.The questions come amid growing political debate over the India\u2013US trade framework, under which Washington has agreed to lower tariffs on Indian exports to 18 per cent from much higher levels. The agreement has been announced at the framework level, with several details yet to be made public.Defending the deal in the Lok Sabha, Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal<\/a> said India had successfully protected its sensitive sectors, especially agriculture and dairy, after nearly a year of negotiations. He said discussions had been ongoing since Prime Minister Modi\u2019s visit to the US in February 2025 and that the final outcome was balanced and mutually beneficial. Goyal also stressed that energy security remained a top priority for the government.Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi<\/a> intensified his attack on the Prime Minister, alleging that PM Modi was \u201cunder pressure\u201d and had been \u201ccompromised\u201d in finalising the deal. The Congress has demanded that the full details of the trade agreement be placed before Parliament, particularly on agriculture, tariffs and India\u2019s oil purchases from Russia.