Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday accused Congress MP Rahul Gandhi of preventing the government from presenting details of the US–India trade deal in Parliament, blaming repeated disruptions and “ugly scenes” created by the Opposition.
Goyal said he intended to brief the Lok Sabha on the agreement but was unable to do so due to continued protests led by Rahul Gandhi. Calling the Congress leader “negative”, the minister questioned his intentions and asked, “Rahul Gandhi ko kya mirchi lagti hai?”, suggesting the Opposition was uncomfortable with a deal that could benefit multiple sectors of the economy.
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The remarks came amid political uproar following claims by US President Donald Trump that tariffs on Indian goods would be reduced from 25 per cent to 18 per cent after Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil — a claim yet to be officially confirmed by India.
Goyal also criticised the Opposition for questioning why Trump announced the deal first, describing the INDIA bloc as a group of “disgruntled and rejected leaders”.
Parliament proceedings were repeatedly adjourned after Rahul Gandhi cited an unpublished memoir of former Army chief MM Naravane on the India–China standoff, further delaying discussion on the trade agreement.
