Rahul Gandhi Alleges Modi Can’t Stand Up to Trump Due to Adani Probe
Published on: August 6, 2025
By: Dimapur Today Political Desk
New Delhi: In a pointed political attack, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of failing to confront U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated threats due to the ongoing investigation into billionaire Gautam Adani by U.S. authorities. Gandhi claimed that the Prime Minister’s hands were “tied” because any resistance to Trump could expose financial links between the Modi government, the Adani Group, and controversial Russian oil deals.
Tariff Threats and Global Pressure
President Trump has, in recent weeks, escalated pressure on India by imposing a 25% tariff on Indian exports, citing India’s continued purchases of Russian crude oil and what he termed as an “unfair trade imbalance.” The sharp rhetoric from the White House has sparked alarm within India’s economic and diplomatic circles.
Despite these aggressive moves, Prime Minister Modi has remained largely silent on the issue, prompting criticism from opposition leaders. Rahul Gandhi, in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), suggested that Modi’s silence is not strategic restraint, but rather a compulsion rooted in vulnerability.
“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. One threat is to expose the financial links between Modi, AA [Adani and Ambani], and Russian oil deals. Modi’s hands are tied.”
The Adani Bribery Case
The controversy surrounding the Adani Group has intensified since November 2024, when a U.S. court unsealed a five-count indictment accusing Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, and several senior executives of a massive bribery and fraud scheme. The indictment alleges that Adani entities paid over $250 million in bribes to Indian officials between 2020 and 2024 to secure renewable energy contracts.
U.S. prosecutors claim that these contracts were obtained through illegal means and are projected to generate more than $2 billion in revenue, misleading American investors in the process. While Adani has denied all charges and dismissed them as politically motivated, the scandal has cast a shadow over India’s global image and the Modi government’s perceived patronage of the conglomerate.
Rahul Gandhi’s Continued Offensive
Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly targeted the Modi-Adani connection. During the Prime Minister’s official visit to the U.S., Gandhi criticized Modi for dodging questions about the indictment in a joint press conference with Trump. Modi had called the matter a “personal issue,” which Gandhi called an insult to national integrity.
“When filling a friend’s pocket is ‘nation building’ for Modiji, then taking bribes and looting the nation’s wealth becomes a ‘personal matter.’ Narendra Modi ji, this is not a personal matter. It’s a matter of the country,” said Gandhi.
Economic and Diplomatic Implications
India’s export industries have already begun to feel the pinch from the tariffs, and concerns are growing that the country may be losing strategic ground in trade negotiations. Meanwhile, global investors are closely monitoring the Adani investigation and its implications for corporate governance in India.
Rahul Gandhi has also controversially echoed Trump’s earlier remarks that India’s economy is “dead,” adding that “everybody knows this fact” and blaming crony capitalism for the country’s stagnation.
Looking Ahead
With national elections less than a year away, these allegations are likely to fuel a highly charged political atmosphere. The Congress party seems set to keep the spotlight on the Modi-Adani-Trump triangle, while the BJP has so far maintained silence or dismissed Gandhi’s remarks as baseless.
As India grapples with both external economic threats and internal accountability challenges, the Prime Minister’s next move—if any—on the Adani issue or the Trump tariffs could shape the political discourse heading into 2026.
