New Delhi [India], January 9 : Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Friday took a swipe at the BJP-led Centre by sharing remarks of US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, alleging that India missed out on a trade deal with the United States due to a lack of direct engagement at the leadership level.
He took a jibe at the Centre's foreign policy by posting a sarcastic Hindi verse along with a podcast clip featuring Lutnick, suggesting a strain in India-US ties.
https://x.com/Jairam_Ramesh/status/2009500939829563612?s=20
In a post on X, Ramesh wrote, "Hug hag na raha, Post post na raha, Kya se kya ho gaya Bewafa tere dosti mein (The hug is no longer a hug, the post is no longer a post, What all has happened to me in your friendship, oh unfaithful one)."
His remarks come after Lutnick claimed that the trade deal between India and the United States got stalled as Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not place a call to US President Donald Trump.
In a conversation with American venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya, as part of the 'All-In Podcast' on Thursday (local time), Lutnick said that while contracts were negotiated and the entire deal structure was prepared, the final step required direct, leader-level engagement.
"I would negotiate the contracts and set the whole deal up, but let's be clear. It's his (Trump's) deal. He's the closer. He does it. It's all set up, you got to have Modi, call the President. They were uncomfortable doing it. So Modi didn't call. That Friday left, in the next week we did Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, we announced a whole bunch of deals," the US Commerce Secretary said.
Lutnick went on to explain Trump's broader trade negotiation strategy, describing it as a "staircase" model. According to him, countries that moved first received the best possible terms, while those that followed later were offered progressively higher rates.
Referring to the first trade deal with the United Kingdom, Lutnick said Trump was repeatedly asked about which country would be next, and India was publicly named multiple times.
India, he said, was given "three Fridays" to close the deal, effectively putting it on a "short clock.
"However, according to Lutnick, India did not meet the deadline and as a result, the US moved ahead with trade agreements with several Asian countries, including Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, announcing a series of deals across Asia.