Amid ongoing discussions between India and the United States over a possible trade deal, political tensions at home are heating up. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has taken a sharp swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, accusing them of posturing publicly while eventually bowing to US pressure behind closed doors.

Responding to Goyal’s recent statement that “India is not under any deadline pressure” and that “national interest is above deadlines,” Rahul Gandhi posted on social media platform X:
“Piyush Goyal can beat his chest as much as he wants. Mark my words, Modi-Trump will bow down to the deadline of tariff.”

Rahul’s jibe comes just days before the July 9 expiry of a temporary freeze on US-imposed retaliatory tariffs. The tariffs, first imposed by then-President Donald Trump, affected around 100 countries, including a 26% tariff on Indian goods. A 90-day suspension on those tariffs was granted but is now set to lapse, putting fresh pressure on India and the US to finalize a trade arrangement.

Meanwhile, Piyush Goyal has maintained that India will only enter a deal if it aligns with national interest, emphasizing that sticking points such as agriculture and automobiles still remain unresolved. He added that a free trade agreement must be mutually beneficial, and India will not compromise for the sake of a deadline.

The Congress’s sharp rhetoric indicates a political attempt to corner the government on global economic policy and test the Modi administration's ability to resist external pressure. As the July 9 deadline looms, all eyes are on whether New Delhi will hold firm—or make key concessions in the final hours of negotiation.