Rahul Gandhi slams PM, says ‘Deal with US not for trade, but to get Adani off hook’

Led by Lok Sabha Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, the Indian National Congress intensified its criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi following a report that the US Department of Justice may drop criminal charges against Gautam Adani.

The Congress alleged that the prime minister had entered into a political arrangement rather than pursuing a trade agreement, suggesting that the move was aimed at securing relief for Adani.

The party’s attack follows a report by The New York Times claiming that the US Justice Department was considering withdrawing fraud-related charges against Adani. According to the report, the development followed discussions in which Adani’s lawyer reportedly made an unusual proposal during negotiations with US authorities, Indian Express reported.

The NYT report also stated that sources familiar with the matter denied that the possible dismissal was intended as a political favour to Adani because of his perceived closeness to Modi. Instead, the report suggested that the decision reflected the administration of Donald Trump moving away from pursuing foreign bribery cases and acting as a global corporate enforcement authority. The report added that Adani could still face financial penalties even if criminal charges were dropped.

Reacting to the report, Rahul Gandhi posted on X alleging, “Compromised PM didn’t sign a trade deal, he did a deal for Adani’s release.”

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also criticised the government, claiming the report explained why Modi had accepted what he described as a disappointing and one-sided trade arrangement with the United States. Ramesh further alleged that Modi had halted Operation Sindoor in May 2025 under pressure from Trump rather than prioritising India’s national interests. He questioned how far the prime minister would go in compromising national interests if the Trump administration eventually withdrew all corruption-related allegations involving what he termed “Modani”.

The Congress has consistently targeted Adani since US prosecutors indicted Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani and six others in November 2024 over alleged bribery payments to Indian officials.

According to the US court filings, prosecutors alleged that around Rs 1,750 crore in alleged corrupt payments had been offered to an unidentified senior Andhra Pradesh government official in exchange for facilitating agreements by state power distribution companies to purchase solar energy from the Solar Energy Corporation of India under a manufacturing-linked renewable energy project.

Rahul Gandhi and the Congress have repeatedly alleged that Modi was politically vulnerable because of the Adani investigation in the United States as well as the Epstein files. The opposition party has raised the issue multiple times in Parliament and during election campaigns.

The Congress has also criticised the proposed India-US trade agreement, which has not yet been signed. The party alleged that the arrangement was being shaped under pressure from the Trump administration and could harm Indian farmers and domestic industries due to high tariff obligations. According to Congress leaders, the US government allegedly held leverage over Modi and the Indian government because of the Adani case and the Epstein controversy.