BENGALURU, 5 JULY

With the Congress mocking the BJP-led NDA government over the proposed trade deal with the US, Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said India negotiates from a position of strength and not under deadlines.

He also accused the Congress of "negotiating and signing agreements that were not in the national interest" during the UPA regime.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had earlier attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Indo-US trade deal, claiming the PM will "meekly bow" to the tariff deadline set by the Trump administration.

The party has been attacking the PM for remaining silent and not countering US President Donald Trump's repeated claims of bringing a halt to hostilities between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack.

Goyal had earlier stated that India would accept the proposed trade deal with the US only when it is fully finalised and in national interest. Trump has set a deadline of July 9 to finalise the trade agreement with India.

Meanwhile, addressing the IIT Madras Alumni Association’s Sangam 2025 on Saturday, Goyal expressed confidence that new technologies will define India’s growth story in the coming years.

He said India is transforming from a country known for seeking jobs to becoming a nation of job creators.