New Delhi, May 24 -- The Congress on Sunday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's statement that India has "committed to purchasing USD 500 billion" in

American goods over the next five years, accusing him of going the extra mile to appease his "good friend" and asked why the government had not renounced the "anti-people" Indo-US trade deal.

Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, also questioned why the Modi government had "agreed" to increase imports when the prime minister had asked citizens to cut down on domestic fuel consumption and overseas travel to save foreign exchange.

Will this surge in imports not further cause the rupee to depreciate, he asked.

In a post on X, Rubio, who is on a four-day visit to India, said, "Huge thanks to US Ambassador in India Sergio Gor and our American diplomats for their efforts. Because of their great work, India has committed to purchasing USD 500 billion in US goods over the next five years, focusing on energy, technology, and agriculture.

"They're doing terrific work on behalf of President Trump and the American people!"

Ramesh said it was Rubio who first made the announcement of the ceasefire that brought Operation Sindoor to an unexpected halt, and he was also the first to announce that the President of Venezuela would be visiting India next week.

"Why is all the communication on Indian foreign policy -- from the Operation Sindoor ceasefire and the halting of Russian oil and gas imports, to the Indo-US trade deal and the visit of the Venezuelan President -- now coming first from Washington DC instead of New Delhi?" the Congress general secretary said.

"Today, Mr Rubio has once again shocked the country by making a statement on X that the Modi government has committed to purchasing USD 500 billion in US goods over the next five years, focusing on energy, technology, and agriculture," Ramesh said.

India's yearly imports are USD 52.9 billion as of FY26, and Rubio's statement implies that India will have to double its annual imports from the US, he said.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.