Parliament Paralysed as Rahul Gandhi Links India–US Trade Deal to 'Pressure Points' on Modi; Eight Congress MPs Suspended
India’s Parliament remained paralysed on Tuesday as Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi escalated his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the recently announced India–United States trade agreement was concluded under “immense pressure” and linking the deal to what he described as two external “pressure points” involving industrialist Gautam Adani and the release of material connected to Jeffrey Epstein.
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| Representational Image Source: LoP RaGa |
“There is extreme pressure on him. Narendra Modi ji’s image can get damaged,” Rahul Gandhi said, adding that “the main thing is that our Prime Minister is compromised.”
Rahul Gandhi claimed that one source of pressure was legal action involving Adani in the United States, which he alleged was effectively a case against the Prime Minister because, in his words, Adani represented the financial structure behind Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
“They are not targeting Adani, they are targeting PM Modi’s financial structure,” Rahul Gandhi said. He also cited the Epstein-related material, saying there was “a lot to be revealed” that the public wanted to know and that this too created pressure on the Prime Minister.
“These are the two pressure points,” he said.
The Congress leader said that Indian farmers and the wider public needed to reflect on why the agreement had moved forward so suddenly. He alleged that through the trade deal, the Prime Minister had “sold your hard work, your blood and sweat,” and said this was why he was not being allowed to speak in Parliament.
Rahul Gandhi repeatedly claimed that, for the first time, the Leader of Opposition had not been allowed to speak during the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address.
The allegations came a day after the United States and India announced a trade agreement following a telephone conversation between Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump said the deal would lower U.S. reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods to 18% and claimed that India would reduce its tariffs and non-tariff barriers against U.S. products to zero.
Trump also said Modi had agreed to significantly increase purchases of American goods, including energy, technology, agricultural products and coal, and to stop buying Russian oil. Modi confirmed the tariff reduction in a post on X, describing the agreement as beneficial for both countries and thanking Trump for the decision.
The Congress has demanded full disclosure of the terms of the agreement, questioning U.S. claims about India opening sensitive sectors such as agriculture, reducing tariffs to zero, and pausing purchases of Russian oil.
The opposition has also sought clarification on commitments cited by Trump, including large-scale purchases of U.S. goods, noting that neither side has released detailed documentation of the deal.
Earlier, India’s Ministry of External Affairs rejected references to Modi in material linked to Epstein, with spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal saying that references beyond the Prime Minister’s official visit to Israel in 2017 were “trashy ruminations of a convicted criminal” and should be dismissed.
The Lok Sabha witnessed repeated disruptions. Opposition members protested when Rahul Gandhi was passed over to speak, leading to sloganeering, torn papers being thrown in the House and multiple adjournments.
Eight Congress MPs were suspended for the remainder of the Budget Session for disorderly conduct, following a motion moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
The government rejected Rahul Gandhi’s charges, with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal defending the agreement as a “tremendous opportunity” and “the best deal” India had secured compared to its neighbours.
Addressing a press conference, Goyal said the deal prioritised national interests and had emerged after months of negotiations between Indian and U.S. teams.
He credited Modi’s leadership for the outcome and said the government remained committed to protecting farmers and sensitive sectors such as agriculture, animal husbandry and dairy.
Goyal criticised the opposition’s conduct in Parliament, saying the government had intended to make a statement in the House but was forced to brief the media due to disruptions.
He also recalled India’s decision not to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, arguing that the current government had protected national interests where previous administrations had not.
The political confrontation unfolded against the backdrop of India’s expanding trade diplomacy, coming just a week after New Delhi announced a crucial trade agreement with the European Union. While the EU is India’s largest trading partner as a bloc, the United States remains India’s single largest trading partner.
The opposition maintains that key questions about the India–U.S. trade agreement remain unanswered while the government insists the deal strengthened India’s global position.
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