New Delhi, Jun 14 (UNI) Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strongly raise the issue of the deaths of three Indian sailors in a US attack off the Oman coast and address what he described as threatening language used by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a recent conversation with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, as the Prime Minister prepares to meet US President Donald Trump.
In a post on social media platform X, Ramesh said Indian citizens were closely watching whether Modi would firmly convey India’s concerns during his upcoming interaction with the US President, whom he described as the Prime Minister’s “self-declared good friend.”
“Prime Minister Modi is set to meet his self-declared good friend President Donald Trump shortly,” Ramesh wrote. “The question that is uppermost on the minds of all Indian citizens is whether PM Modi will raise (i) India’s strongest condemnation to the killing of three Indian sailors in a US attack on a ship off the Oman Coast; and (ii) the threatening and really unacceptable language used by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in his conversation with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on June 12, 2026.”
The Congress leader also targeted the Modi government’s handling of ongoing trade negotiations with the United States, noting that US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is expected to visit India soon to advance discussions on a bilateral trade agreement.
Ramesh recalled that the framework for what he described as an interim trade agreement had been announced by President Trump on February 3, 2026, and alleged that the arrangement involved significant concessions by India.
“The ‘framework for an Interim Agreement regarding reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade’ was announced by President Trump — on what he said was at the specific request of PM Modi,” Ramesh said. He further claimed that the agreement was reached when the Prime Minister was facing criticism from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Parliament over the government’s approach towards China.
According to Ramesh, the proposed trade arrangement posed risks to India’s agricultural and industrial sectors. “The ‘deal’ which was more like a steal saw the Modi Government unilaterally make enormous concessions that threaten our farmers and industries,” he alleged.
The Congress general secretary also referred to developments in the United States, claiming that some countries had reconsidered trade arrangements linked to the tariff regime introduced by the Trump administration after legal challenges to those tariffs.
He accused the Modi government of remaining silent despite what he described as growing concerns over the trade negotiations and alleged commitments regarding increased imports from the United States.
“The Modi Government has not only failed to renounce this trade deal which endangers the futures of crores of India’s farmers but has instead sat mute and helpless while Secretary of State Rubio has proclaimed that the Modi Government has committed to purchasing $500 billion in US goods over the next five years — effectively doubling our annual US imports,” Ramesh said.
Calling for a tougher response from New Delhi, the Congress leader argued that the government should postpone the proposed visit of the US Trade Representative in light of recent diplomatic developments and ongoing concerns surrounding the trade agreement.
“In light of the Rubio-Jaishankar interaction, the US Supreme Court’s overturning of President Trump’s tariff system, and the patent unfairness of the trade deal, the least India must do is to put off the visit of the U.S. Trade Representative,” he said.
Ramesh further asserted that India must take stronger steps to defend its sovereignty and national interests. “Any self-respecting nation will do more than mere phone calls and press statements to defend its sovereignty against bullies,” he wrote.
The remarks add to the Congress party’s escalating criticism of the Modi government’s handling of relations with the United States following the deaths of three Indian sailors in an American military action near Oman. Over the past several days, Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have questioned the government’s response to the incident, accused it of failing to adequately defend India’s sovereignty, and demanded greater transparency and accountability regarding both the deaths of the seafarers and the broader trajectory of India-US relations. UNI
