Cong asks govt to take Parliament into confidence on US, EU trade deals
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Tuesday demanded that the Modi government should take Parliament into confidence and the text of both the EU and US trade deals must be laid on the table of both Houses and debated.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said that from the information President Donald Trump has provided, it is abundantly clear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "completely surrendered".
He said that almost exactly a year ago, Prime Minister Modi landed at the White House to greet President Trump on his re-election.
"His trademark huglomacy was on full display. India-US relations never appeared brighter. Negotiations for a trade deal started immediately thereafter.But ever since President Trump made the first announcement of the halt to Operation Sindoor on the evening of May 10, 2025 things began to go downhill," Ramesh said on X.
Subsequently, President Trump embraced Pakistan and Field Marshall Asim Munir enthusiastically, "exposing the hollowness of Mr. Modi's huglomacy", he said.
Ramesh pointed out that President Trump announced the trade deal very late last night Indian time.
"From the information President Trump has provided, it is abundantly clear that Prime Minister Modi has - like he did on May 10, 2025 - completely surrendered. He has most definitely appeased President Trump. India stands diminished by this unfortunate sequence of events," he claimed.
Pointing out that Parliament is in session, Ramesh said the text of both the EU and US trade deals must be laid on the table of both Houses and debated, "especially since the US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has issued a statement claiming that India has liberalised agricultural imports from the US".
Reacting to President Trump's announcement that the US and India have agreed to a trade deal, Ramesh had said Monday night that it appears the prime minister has "capitulated finally" and that this "cannot be the father of all deals".
He had said "clearly Mogambo Khush Hai", a play on a popular dialogue from the 1987 Hindi movie "Mr India".
In a post on X, the Congress hit out at the government and said India has the right to know details of the trade deal.
"Just like the ceasefire, the announcement of the trade deal was also made by US President Trump. It has been stated that the trade deal is being done 'on Modi's request'," the party said.
"Trump says that India will move to reduce tariff and non tariff barriers against the United States to 'zero'. It seems India has agreed to completely open our market for America. This will impact Indian industry, traders and farmers," it said.
There is talk of opening the agriculture sector for America in the statement as well, the Congress said and asked what exactly is the deal.
How has the security and interests of our farmers been ensured, the party further asked.
It has also been said that the Modi government will not buy oil from Russia, but will buy from America and Venezuela instead, the Congress pointed out and asked whether the Modi government agreed to this condition.
"In addition, there is talk of buying more goods from America. If that's the case, then what happened to 'Make in India'?" the party said.
"The Modi government must take the Parliament and the entire country into confidence and share all the details," he added.
Trump on Monday said India and the US agreed to a trade deal under which Washington will bring down the reciprocal tariff on Indian goods to 18 per cent from the current 25 per cent, Trump said on Monday after a phone conversation with PM Modi.
On his part, PM Modi said he was delighted that "made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent".
This came after India and the European Union, on January 27, sealed a landmark free trade agreement -- billed as the "mother of all deals" -- to create a market of two billion people, with PM Modi and the top EU leadership unveiling a transformative five-year agenda to largely leverage trade and defence in protecting the rules-based world order.
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Two die in Kerala of suspected food poisoning after eating at Vizhinjam eatery
Thiruvananthapuram/Kollam (PTI): Two members of a family died near Nilamel in Kollam a day ago in a suspected case of food poisoning after dining at a restaurant in Vizhinjam, police said on Tuesday.
Two other members of the same family are currently undergoing treatment, police said, adding that the restaurant in question has been sealed and food safety officials will soon carry out an inspection there.
Later in the day, State Health Minister Veena George said she had asked the Food Safety Commissioner and the Director of Health Services to look into the matter as soon as she saw news reports about the incident.
Following this, food safety officers reached the eatery and carried out inspections, she said, adding that their report is awaited.
"As per news reports, the victims had fish. So, it has to be ascertained whether anyone else who ate fish there is unwell. At present, we cannot confirm that the deaths were due to food poisoning. This can be determined only after detailed tests," the minister told reporters.
Earlier in the morning, police said that several hundred people had eaten at the same restaurant on Monday night, but there have been no other complaints of anyone falling ill.
"So, the exact cause of death can be known only after the post-mortem. The family said the problem occurred after they ate at the restaurant," an officer of the Vizhinjam police station said.
The family hails from Nilamel near Chadayamangalam in Kollam district.
A case of unnatural death has been registered by the Chadayamangalam police, the officer added.
