Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday (January 23, 2026) flagged what he called a “deepening crisis” in India’s textile sector due to high U.S. tariffs and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene, saying the issue was threatening jobs and small businesses.
Sharing a video on X from his recent visit to a garment factory in Haryana, Mr. Gandhi said that “50% U.S. tariffs and uncertainty are badly hurting India’s textile exporters”. “Job losses, factory shutdowns and reduced orders are a reality of our ‘Dead Economy’,” he said.
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Accusing the Prime Minister of inaction, Mr. Gandhi said, “Mr. Modi has offered no relief or even spoken about tariffs, even though more than 4.5 crore jobs and lakhs of businesses are at stake. Modi ji, you are accountable; please direct your attention to this matter!”
The Congress leader stressed that India must urgently secure a trade agreement with the U.S. that prioritises domestic interests. “It is imperative that India secures a U.S. trade deal that puts Indian businesses and Indian workers first,” he said, adding that the Prime Minister “must not allow his own weakness to impact our economy any further”.
