NEW DELHI — Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is unable to push back against US President Donald Trump’s threats owing to an ongoing investigation in the United States involving industrialist Gautam Adani.
The Congress MP’s comments came shortly after Trump accused India of being an unfair trading partner. Trump also announced plans to impose significantly higher tariffs on Indian goods within the next 24 hours, citing New Delhi’s purchase of Russian crude oil and alleged profiteering from its re-sale, TNIE reported.
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Gandhi wrote, “India,please understand: The reason PM Modi cannot stand up to President Trump despite his repeated threats is the ongoing U.S. investigation into Adani.”
He further alleged: “One threat is to expose the financial links between Modi, AA (Adani), and Russian oil deals. Modi’s hands are tied.”
There was no immediate response either from the Government or the Adani Group to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks.
India, please understand:
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 6, 2025
The reason PM Modi cannot stand up to President Trump despite his repeated threats is the ongoing U.S. investigation into Adani.
One threat is to expose the financial links between Modi, AA, and Russian oil deals.
Modi’s hands are tied.
The controversy comes in the backdrop of a US federal indictment, unsealed in a New York court in November 2024, naming Gautam Adani, 63, along with seven other defendants, including his nephew Mr. Sagar Adani, director at Adani Green Energy Ltd.
The indictment alleges the group paid approximately USD 265 million in bribes to Indian officials between 2020 and 2024, in exchange for favourable terms in solar energy contracts projected to generate USD 2 billion in profits over two decades.
Earlier this week, Trump intensified his criticism of India’s energy trade practices, accusing the country of importing large volumes of discounted Russian crude and re-exporting it at marked-up prices.
“India is not a good trading partner,” he said, adding that his administration would “very substantially” raise tariffs on Indian imports.
The Indian government responded swiftly and sharply, calling the statements by the US and the European Union “unjustified and unreasonable.”
In a strongly-worded rebuttal, India accused the West of “double standards,” pointing out that both the United States and the EU continue their own trade engagements with Russia, including purchases of uranium, fertilisers, and chemicals.
When questioned about these imports, Trump responded, “I don’t know anything about that,” deflecting concerns about American-Russian trade ties.
