Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday took a swipe at the Congress party over its past handling of free trade agreements. The remark came following Congress’s criticism of the recently concluded India–EU Free Trade Agreement, called the
“mother of all deals”.
Reacting to a social media post by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, Goyal dismissed the criticism as sour grapes and accused the party of lacking the political will to finalise key trade deals when it was in power. He said negotiations for the India–EU FTA began in 2006 and were formally launched in 2007, but the Congress-led government failed to see them through.
The India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was officially relaunched on June 17, 2022, after a nine-year hiatus after the original negotiations (started in 2007) were suspended in 2013 due to gaps in expectations.
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‘Sour grapes’ over India–EU FTA
While speaking to ANI, Goyal said, “It’s like angoor khate hai (story of sour grapes). Discussions started in 2006, launched in 2007, abandoned in 2013. They didn’t even have the courage or the will to finalise an agreement. Out of fear, the UPA and Congress governments could never take decisive action. And Jairam Ramesh himself is considered anti-development, you’ve seen it. As an environment minister, he stalled the country’s development journey. The Congress party’s track record is that bad. Friends like Jairam Ramesh and parties like the Congress were pushing India to enter into an FTA with China. I want to ask them directly: How did you even think of letting India enter RCEP, which was effectively an FTA between China and India? How did you have the courage to put India at risk? This was a grave mistake by Congress. Congress must answer the people about how they were willing to harm India’s interests through an FTA with China. This is the Congress track record.”
Goyal contrasted the current government’s approach with what he described as flawed trade deals signed earlier. He said agreements with Japan and South Korea under the Congress regime had failed to boost Indian exports while allowing imports to surge.
India’s growth, FTAs and global standing
Highlighting the India–EU FTA, Goyal said the agreement had been negotiated on balanced terms and would offer duty-free access to 99 percent of Indian exports. He added that the government avoids signing FTAs with countries that could hurt domestic manufacturers due to lower labour costs.
He also responded strongly to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remark that the Indian economy was “dead,” pointing to India’s growth rate and global interest in strengthening ties with the country.
“The world’s fastest-growing large economy, have you heard the statements of the EU Commissioner and EU Council President? How excited they were to improve relations with India. Today, no other economy is growing at 7-8% except India. Today, the whole world is eager to strengthen ties with India. I believe that inside our own country, there are people like Rahul Gandhi and Jairam Ramesh who disparage their own nation…” Goyal said.
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He added that rising incomes, expanding infrastructure, reduced taxes and job creation through startups reflected India’s progress, asserting that what he called the Congress party’s negative mindset could no longer slow the country’s growth trajectory. |
