Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday set out what he said would have been the INDIA alliance’s approach in negotiating with US President Donald Trump on the latest trade agreement.

Speaking during the Budget session in Parliament, Gandhi said the Opposition bloc would have insisted on engaging with the United States “as equals” while safeguarding India’s strategic and economic interests.

He referred to earlier remarks by senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who had described the agreement as appearing less like a free trade pact and more like a pre-committed purchase arrangement that weakens reciprocity.

Three key points outlined

Gandhi said that if the INDIA alliance were negotiating with President Trump, it would begin by acknowledging the importance of the US dollar and expressing willingness to support economic stability. However, he stressed that India’s data and market access are significant assets and any such engagement must be based on equality.

“If you want access to this data, then please understand that you are going to talk to us as an equal,” Gandhi said, adding that India should not be treated as subordinate in trade discussions.

His second point focused on energy security. Without naming specific measures, Gandhi indicated that India would protect its energy interests regardless of external pressure, an apparent reference to US calls for India to halt oil purchases from Russia.

Third, he said that while the US administration may need to safeguard its agricultural voter base, India would also protect its farmers. He added that India should not accept being equated with Pakistan in trade matters.

Changes in US factsheet

The remarks came amid political debate over an interim trade understanding between India and the United States.

The White House revised an earlier factsheet on the agreement. In the updated version, the reference to “pulses” was removed from the list of American products on which India would eliminate or reduce tariffs.

Additionally, the language describing India’s purchases of American goods was changed. The initial document had stated that India “committed” to buying more US products and purchasing over $500 billion worth of US energy, information and communication technology, agricultural goods, coal, and other items. The revised version replaced “committed” with “intends”.

Gandhi criticised the Centre in the Lok Sabha a day after the Congress alleged that India had weakened its own trade leverage.

The current phase of the Budget session is scheduled to conclude on April 2. Parliament will adjourn for recess on February 13 and reconvene on March 9 for further discussions, including examination of demands for grants by standing committees.

The Union Home Ministry on Wednesday issued fresh guidelines directing that the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ be played before the national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ at all government events and in all schools across the country.

Under the new rules, individuals must stand when ‘Vande Mataram’ is played at official functions. The directive also expands the occasions on which the song will be performed, including civilian award ceremonies such as the Padma awards and events attended by the President, during both arrival and departure.

The guidelines further state that ‘Vande Mataram’ will be played in public spaces such as cinema halls. However, standing will not be mandatory in such instances.

Significantly, all six stanzas of the song will now be rendered, including four that were not used at national gatherings following a 1937 decision by the Congress leadership.

Legal backing and extension of protections

Last month, sources had indicated that the government was considering extending protocols applicable to the national anthem under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act to the national song.

Under this law, anyone who disrupts or prevents others from showing respect to the national anthem — and now the national song — can face imprisonment of up to three years.

Political backdrop to the directive

The move is expected to trigger political debate, especially after last year’s exchange between the ruling BJP and the Congress over the history of ‘Vande Mataram’.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had accused former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of opposing the song on the grounds that it could “irritate Muslims”, alleging that this approach mirrored that of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The BJP had also shared letters written by Nehru to support its position. The issue intensified during a parliamentary discussion marking the 150th anniversary of the song.

The four stanzas that were earlier excluded contain references to Hindu goddesses such as Durga, Kamala (Lakshmi) and Saraswati. In 1937, at a Congress session in Faizpur led by Nehru, it was decided that only the first two stanzas would be used at national gatherings. The rationale was that the later verses were viewed by some members of the Muslim community as exclusionary.

The BJP has argued that the earlier exclusions reflected a divisive approach and that dropping the stanzas contributed to the circumstances leading to Partition.

In response, Congress leaders have criticised the ruling party. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge described it as ironic that those claiming to defend nationalism had not historically sung ‘Vande Mataram’. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, speaking in Parliament, accused the Prime Minister and the BJP of selectively quoting Nehru and presenting excerpts from his letters without context, and alleged political motives linked to the upcoming Assembly election in Bengal.

Historical context of the song

‘Vande Mataram’ was written on November 7, 1875, by Bengali author Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and later published in his 1882 novel ‘Anandmath’. The song became a rallying cry during India’s freedom movement.

Across its six stanzas, the composition portrays the nation as a mother figure, combining nurturing and protective imagery. The later verses specifically reference Hindu goddesses, which formed the basis of the 1937 decision to limit its official use to the first two stanzas.

With the new directive, the government has reinstated all six stanzas for official performance.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said he has filed a civil defamation case seeking Rs500 crore in damages against senior Congress leaders Jitendra Singh, Bhupesh Baghel and Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi.

The chief minister accused the three leaders of making false, malicious and defamatory allegations against him during a press conference held in Guwahati last week.

In a post on X on Tuesday afternoon, Sarma said he has approached the court over what he described as baseless accusations levelled against him in the public domain.

“Today, I have filed a defamation case seeking Rs500 crore in damages against Congress leaders Jitendra Singh, Bhupesh Baghel and Gaurav Gogoi for making false, malicious and defamatory allegations against me through a press conference,” Sarma wrote.

The legal action follows the Assam Congress’s launch of a website titled “Who Is HBS” on February 4, along with the circulation of a pamphlet accusing the chief minister of corruption, misuse of power and disrespect towards cultural icons.

The website, which sought details of Sarma’s alleged assets, was later allegedly hacked after its launch.

Congress leaders had also claimed that the chief minister and his family owned around 12,000 bighas, or nearly 4,000 acres, of land, alleging that rules were manipulated to convert agricultural land into industrial land.

Sources said the defamation case has been initiated at the Kamrup District Civil Court, with further proceedings currently underway.

Meanwhile, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee on Tuesday lodged a police complaint at Dispur Police Station against the BJP and Sarma, alleging misuse of artificial intelligence to malign Gaurav Gogoi and targeting Muslims through a now-deleted video referred to as the “point blank shot” clip.

APCC senior spokesperson Gopal Sarma alleged that the BJP was engaging in what he described as “the worst kind of colonisation of politics” in Assam ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. He also claimed that an AI-generated video was circulated portraying a person from a religious minority as Gogoi.

Responding to the police complaint, Sarma said he would continue speaking openly and was not intimidated by legal action.

“It is good that they have filed the case. What does communal mean? You all know who I am against,” the chief minister said.

“For me, white is white and black is black. They cannot frighten me. Anyone can file a case against me,” he added.

The video in question, posted on Saturday, was deleted following a political backlash. Sarma had on Monday said he was unaware of the video.