NEW DELHI: Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday took a sharp swipe at the Congress over its criticism of the India–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) using a colloquial phrase, “angoor khatte hain”, likening the party’s reaction to the story of sour grapes.Speaking to news agency ANI, Goyal said, “It’s like angoor khate hai (story of sour grapes). Discussions started in 2006, launched in 2007, abandoned in 2013. They didn’t even have the courage or the will to finalise an agreement. Out of fear, the UPA and Congress governments could never take decisive action.”“And Jairam Ramesh himself is considered anti-development, you’ve seen it. As an environment minister, he stalled the country’s development journey. The Congress party’s track record is that bad,” he added.Goyal’s remarks came in response to Jairam Ramesh’s criticism of the India–EU FTA. In a post on X earlier this week, Ramesh said the agreement was “the biggest trade opening India has given to any trade partner”, noting that tariff relief covers over 96% of EU exports to India.“This hugely-hyped FTA… is expected to double India’s imports from the EU. Its impact on India’s trade deficit will have to be monitored closely,” Ramesh wrote.He also flagged concerns over the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), saying, “The Modi Government’s failure to secure an exemption for India’s aluminium and steel-makers from the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is one of @INCIndia’s key concerns regarding the FTA.”Ramesh said India’s aluminium and steel exports to the EU had already fallen from $7 billion to $5 billion and could decline further after CBAM comes into force on January 1, 2026.“Over time, CBAM will also expand to include other categories of India’s industrial exports and can effectively nullify any gains India secures from the FTA,” he added, also raising concerns over strict EU health and product safety norms acting as non-tariff barriers. He further said the EU was seeking privileged access to India’s services sector, including financial services and maritime transport.

‘Congress pushed India towards China-centric pacts’

Hitting back, Piyush Goyal accused the Congress of endangering India’s economic interests by pushing for trade agreements with China.“Friends like Jairam Ramesh and parties like the Congress were pushing India to enter into an FTA with China,” he said, referring to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).“I want to ask them directly: How did you even think of letting India enter RCEP, which was effectively an FTA between China and India? How did you have the courage to put India at risk?” Goyal asked.“This was a grave mistake by Congress. Congress must answer the people about how they were willing to harm India’s interests through an FTA with China. This is the Congress track record,” he added.

‘Congress FTAs failed’

Goyal further contrasted the India–EU FTA with agreements signed under previous Congress-led governments.“The Congress government had signed an FTA with Japan and Korea. That FTA was so bad that our exports to those countries haven’t increased at all,” he said.“The products on which they gave us duty concessions are not even reaching those markets, while their imports into India have doubled,” he added.Defending the current agreement, Goyal said, “Here, 99% of everything exported from India will have zero duty. We have negotiated balanced FTAs. We have even signed FTAs with developed countries on our own terms.”“But unlike the Congress government, we don’t sign FTAs with countries that compete with us or those with lower labour costs that would harm our manufacturers,” he said.

Goyal slams Rahul Gandhi

Goyal also slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remark that the Indian economy was “dead”. “The world’s fastest-growing large economy… Today, no other economy is growing at 7–8% except India,” he said. He highlighted India’s progress under the current government, citing poverty reduction, startup growth and infrastructure expansion.“25 crore people have come out of poverty, the youth are becoming job creators through startups, infrastructure is expanding across the country. People’s lives are improving, incomes are rising, and at the same time taxes are being reduced,” he said.“Congress’s negative mindset can no longer stop it. That mindset kept India backward for decades,” Goyal added.Calling the India–EU FTA a landmark achievement, Goyal said, “This FTA between the EU and India places India at the high table of international geopolitics.”“Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, India has gained recognition and importance across the world,” he said, adding that India is now seen as a key trading partner and strategic ally.“Today, India is sought after as a trading partner and strategic ally by developing nations across the globe,” Goyal said.“This FTA with 27 countries… allows for mutual complementarity. Together, we become a force multiplier. That is the significance of this agreement,” he added.