Congress Leader Mallikarjun Kharge Criticises Modi Govt for Yielding to U.S. Trade Demands

New Delhi – On Wednesday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge publicly rebuked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration, saying it had effectively “capitulated” to pressure from Washington. Kharge’s remarks focused on three fronts where the centre, he claimed, had bent to U.S. demands: the ongoing dispute over trade tariffs, restrictions on Indian agricultural products seeking market access abroad, and recent moves affecting the country's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system.

The Congress leader framed these issues as evidence that the government was prioritising external diplomatic appeasement over domestic economic interests. He warned that such concessions could undermine India’s negotiating leverage and hurt Indian exporters and farmers, many of whom rely on overseas markets. Kharge also hinted that the handling of UPI, a digital payment platform widely used by the South‑Asian diaspora for remittances, could impact the ease with which overseas relatives send money back home.

The statements come at a time when trade talks between New Delhi and Washington are ongoing, and the Indian diaspora is watching closely, given their reliance on both agricultural imports and digital payment services. Kharge’s critique underscores the political tussle ahead of the next general election, with economic sovereignty a key rallying point for opposition parties.