Mallikarjun Kharge slammed Narendra Modi for bending to Washington on a bill that could slap India with up to 100% tariffs on Russian oil purchases, citing the BJP’s failure to protect domestic consumers.
The U.S. House, which cleared a procedural hurdle 214‑211 on Tuesday, now must vote on the bill that would let President Trump impose those duties, after the Senate already approved it.
Kharge pointed to the government’s recent 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate on UPI transactions, arguing it was a concession to U.S. card firms and a move that will cost ₹140 crore of Indian merchants.
Jairam Ramesh added that the UPI shift undermines the zero‑cost model that has attracted millions of users, and questioned whether the new rate was designed to level the playing field for American companies.
The next U.S. House debate is scheduled for Monday, while Modi’s cabinet is expected to issue a statement defending the trade policy and announcing a compensatory measure for affected merchants.