PM Modi's National Test: LoP Gandhi Questions Leadership Amid US Deal

It’s rare in a nation’s life when the Supreme Leader’s personal predicament is seen as an obstacle in the preservation of national interest. The miserable irony is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hawked ‘nation-first’ as the crux of his political doctrine, is now being accused of bartering the national interest to protect his own political interest.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi today said in Lok Sabha that Modi “sold India” by succumbing to American pressure to sign a trade deal that is detrimental to national interest. “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? You sold Bharat Mata,” he thundered, explaining how India’s autonomy had been compromised in the context of Russian oil and how our farmers will be crushed because of the unfair deal on agriculture. He referred to Modi’s compulsions while insisting that no Indian prime minister will sell India under normal circumstances.

Drawing a combat analogy from martial art Jiu Jitsu, the leader of Opposition said, “The Americans have a grip on Modi’s neck; they have choked him. We can see fear in Modi’s eyes. Any Indian prime minister, including Modi, will not sign such a deal unless there was a choke on him.” Amidst fierce opposition by BJP members and repeated threat by the Chair to expunge all the allegations, Gandhi went on to talk about the Epstein files and Adani case in America as possible reasons for Modi’s inability to rebuff the pressures.

He argued, “You allowed Americans to weaponise our energy and finance against us. It’s a wholesale surrender. It’s a tragedy that he has surrendered the future of 150 crore Indians because he wanted to protect the financial structure of the BJP.” He was saying that Adani’s companies are not ordinary businesses as they are linked to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s political clout.

The BJP and the prime minister cannot escape the consequences of this political storm by deploying their pet tactic of maligning Nehru and digging out Congress skeletons. The Leader of Opposition has said the new battlefield requires protection of data, food and energy and questioned the Modi government for not negotiating with Donald Trump on equal terms. “We can’t be made equal to Pakistan,” he said, insinuating that Modi’s personal infirmities brought significant strategic and commercial disadvantages upon India.

Also read: Trump Announces Trade Deal With Modi: Zero Tariffs for US, 18% Charge for India in America

Gandhi has raised larger concerns about India’s sovereignty, going far beyond sectoral challenges, and it should normally entail an honest and meaningful conversation with the prime minister. Mud-slinging and rhetorical bouts will not serve the national interest.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with students during 'Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026 with PM', February 9, 2026. Photo: PMO via PTI Photo.

Modi, who addresses the nation on flimsy issues and spends time on  such non-events like flagging off trains, must offer a credible explanation to the nation even if bitter relations with the Opposition discourage him from directly engaging with the Leader of the Opposition. Modi’s last speech in Rajya Sabha meandered through the dark lanes of history, picking up real and fictional skeletons from the Congress cupboard. What the nation expected from him was some clarity on the serious charge of indecision regarding Chinese aggression as mentioned in the book of the former Army chief, names of some key players, including Anil Ambani and Hardeep Singh Puri, featuring in the Epstein files and the grave concerns about the trade deal. Modi’s evasive tactics have created room for suspicion and speculation.

Modi has now been prime minister for a long time and he must demonstrate the skill and courage to lead from the front. When serious charges of compromise with the national interest have been levelled against him, it is his duty to lower the jingoistic temperature and clear doubts in the people’s minds one by one. Real challenges cannot be tackled with emotional and rhetorical flourish. They must be dispassionately handled with facts and reason. Farmer unions are enraged and the prime minister must meaningfully engage with them before another movement starts.

Gandhi said India’s small and medium enterprises will be destroyed. Textile is finished, he declared, recalling how Bangladesh had extracted a better deal from the United States. The government is duty bound to allay these fears and start a conversation with different sectors of the economy to explain the impact of the trade deal.

The least the government should understand is that the crisis is real and much more important than a Congress-BJP verbal duel. So far, the government has indulged in vague assertions and diversionary tricks while the Leader of opposition has raised very substantive points. The prime minister’s role has been most disappointing; he has stubbornly refused to seriously engage with any issue.

Also read: India’s Trade Talks with the US: A Sovereignty Under Siege

The nation wants to know what he is thinking about Epstein files and the characters who have been found involved in the perverse activities. The nation also wants to hear from the prime minister the benefits and disadvantages of the trade deal with America. Though Modi has a natural aversion to press conferences, he should speak in parliament about the trade deal.

Gandhi has predicted that India is moving into turbulent times. There is little doubt about that because of both geopolitical realities and domestic complexities. Having a prime minister who relies on escapism and obfuscation will not help in these difficult times. Imagine what first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru would have done under similar circumstances. One, he would not have unilaterally signed any deal without taking the stakeholders in confidence; two, he would have answered every single query and promised to take remedial measures if genuine flaws were pointed out.

Is Modi willing to learn anything from India’s greatest prime minister? Or will he rely on his favourite trick – brazening it out?

Sanjay K. Jha is a political commentator.

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