‘He will surrender again’: Rahul Gandhi’s jibe at PM Modi after Trump cuts global tariffs to 10%

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday made a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi again over the trade deal between India and the United States, saying the latter would “surrender”. The dig came hours after US President Donald Trump was forced by the US Supreme Court to announce a 10 per cent global tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. Trump’s move came after the US Supreme Court struck down his sweeping tariffs against several nations, including India. The verdict, split 6:3, handed him a major setback on an issue crucial to his global economic agenda. Calling it “deeply disappointing”, Trump vowed to pursue “very powerful alternatives”. ## What did Rahul Gandhi say? Taking to X, Gandhi wrote: “The PM is compromised. His betrayal now stands exposed. He can’t renegotiate. He will surrender again.” > The PM is compromised. His betrayal now stands exposed. He can’t renegotiate. He will surrender again. — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 21, 2026 The PM is compromised. His betrayal now stands exposed. He can’t renegotiate. He will surrender again. — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 21, 2026 Gandhi has been criticising the Centre over the interim India-US trade agreement framework, with his speech in the Lok Sabha on the Union Budget 10 days ago revolving around the specifics, or the lack of it, of the deal. During the Budget session of the Parliament, Gandhi accused the PM of “surrendering” to the US President over the trade deal. He said: “Our farmers have been left to the mercy of mechanised, massive US farms. Our textile wiped out… Our energy security handed over. We can’t buy oil… I don’t think any Indian PM would do this. There is no logic. What has happened is full surrender.” Rahul Gandhi also claimed that India had “buckled on tariffs, handed over our data, given up control over digital trade rules”. “The point is that I don’t believe that an Indian PM, including Mr Modi, would sign the (US-India) deal,” Gandhi had alleged in his speech in the Lower House on February 11, 2026. ## Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Jiujitsu’ reference Sharing a post over X on Friday, Gandhi elaborated upon his choice of using the example of ‘Jujitsu,’ a form of martial arts, in the Lok Sabha. He questioned the Indian government’s “compromised” energy security by “allowing America to decide our oil imports?” He also He wrote: “Why did we agree to increase US imports by $100 billion every year, without any reciprocal commitment in return? Why did I say that this agreement could turn India into a data colony? Why would Modi ji accept such an agreement, in which India is giving away so much and appears to be getting very little in return?” “The answer to this shameful surrender lies hidden in the “grips” and “chokes” that the Prime Minister has been put under,” Gandhi added. In his Lok Sabha speech, Gandhi had said that, when negotiating with Trump, the most important factor was Indian data. “You (Trump) want to protect the dollar; we are your friends. And we appreciate you and will help you protect the dollar. The biggest asset for that is the Indian people. Second thing we would say is President Trump, if you want access to this data, you have to talk to us like equals, and not your servants,” he said. He used an martial arts analogy, mentioning grip, choke, tap and surrender, to slam the Budget. He alleged a “grip” and a “choke” on PM Modi by external entities, claiming the India-US trade deal harms Indian sectors.