Congress leader Rahul Gandhi waves to a gathering during a public meeting in Assam. (@INCIndia/X via PTI Photo)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (April 2, 2026) claimed United States President Donald Trump was controlling Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Addressing rallies in poll-bound Assam’s Karbi Anglong and Jorhat districts, he called Himanta Biswa Sarma the most corrupt Chief Minister of the country, who fancies himself as a “mini-Modi”.
Also Read | Rahul ‘insulted’ northeast by not wearing Gamosa at reception hosted by President: BJP
Mr. Gandhi said the Prime Minister capitulated to the U.S. for the recent trade deal. “First, he opened India’s agricultural system for American farmers. No Prime Minister did it before. Soybean, lentils, fruits, cotton – Modi opened all of these for American farmers. Indian farmers own small fields and use small-scale mechanisation. They will be destroyed because the farmers in the U.S. have large fields with a high level of mechanisation,” he said.
The Congress leader said Mr. Modi handed energy security over to the U.S. to an extent that India cannot buy oil from Russia, Iran, and Iraq without seeking Mr. Trump’s permission.
‘Small firms will be destroyed’
He claimed that the Prime Minister allowed the U.S. to do whatever it wanted with India’s data. “Modiji told Donald Trump that India will buy goods worth ₹9 lakh crore from U.S. companies every year. As a result, our small and medium-sized industries will be destroyed. Narendra Modi gave a lot of things to the U.S., but the U.S. gave nothing to India,” he said.
This was because Mr. Trump “controls” Mr. Modi, he claimed.
Mr. Gandhi said the U.S. President was aware of Mr. Modi’s “corruption” and the Adani Group records. “Adani will be behind bars if he goes to the U.S. [because of a criminal case filed against him], and the world will see the BJP and Narendra Modi’s financial system,” he claimed.
The Congress leader further claimed that Mr. Trump was using 3.5 million undisclosed Epstein files as a weapon to control Mr. Modi. He asserted that the Prime Minister was in the Epstein files, and Mr. Trump publicly stated that he can destroy Mr. Modi whenever he wants.
Mr. Gandhi attacked the “most corrupt” Mr. Sarma, who he said possessed “mini-Narendra Modi” traits. He said corruption was the reason why the Prime Minister and Home Minister Amit Shah control the Assam Chief Minister.
He further said that Mr. Modi, Mr. Shah, and Mr. Sarma opened a “land ATM” in Assam to give “18,000 bighas of your land to Adani, 13,000 bighas to Ambani, and 60,000 bighas to Patanjali”.
“He (Chief Minister) is giving your land to them, and they are generously giving money to him, which he uses in politics,” Mr. Gandhi said, accusing Mr. Sarma of ruling the State through syndicates.
He said the Chief Minister would come to Congress with folded hands after “we form the government” in Assam. “I know these people. They will not be forgiven,” he added.
Published – April 02, 2026 03:32 pm IST
