New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): As United States President Donald Trump announced that a 'very big deal' is set to be finalised soon with India, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a jibe at the centre on Friday, saying that he hopes the deal will be as big claimed, given that it led to the 'abrupt end' to Operation Sindoor.

The US president has repeatedly claimed that he used trade negotiations with both India and Pakistan to stop hostilities in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, a claim which India has vehemently and repeatedly denied.

'After repeating 16 times that he used a trade deal as an instrument to bring about a ceasefire between India & Pakistan, President Trump has now announced that such an India-US trade agreement is going to be signed in the next few days. He calls a ' very big deal.' It better be - given that it led to the abrupt end of Operation Sindoor,' Ramesh said in a post on X.

https://x.com/Jairam_Ramesh/status/1938442067962671190

'As is now becoming evident, India has to get to know decisions of great importance to it from the White House in Washington DC,' he added.

Earlier, President Trump had said that the US is signing multiple trade deals with countries, highlighting that a notable deal with China has been finalised and that India will follow soon.

While speaking at the Big Beautiful Bill event in Washington DC, Trump said, 'We just signed with China yesterday. We are having some great deals. We have one coming up, maybe with India. Very big one. Where we're going to open up India, in the China deal, we are starting to open up China.'

While speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum earlier this month, US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said that a trade deal between India and the United States could be finalised soon, with both countries finding common ground that suits their interests.

'I think to be in a very, very good place, and you should expect a deal between the United States and India in the not-too-distant future because I think we found a place that really works for both countries,' he said.

Notably, on June 10, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that India and the US were in the process of negotiating a fair and equitable trade agreement that will benefit both economies.Addressing a press conference over India-US trade deal and Future trade agreement with the European Union, Piyush Goyal said, 'PM Narendra Modi and US President Trump met in February 2025...Both our leaders have decided to enter into a bilateral trade agreement which will be mutually beneficial for both the economies, businesses on both sides and the people of both countries. We are negotiating to make a nice, fair, equitable and balanced agreement to promote business.'

Highlighting that both America and India are 'very close friends, allies and strategic partners', Piyush Goyal said that the trade deal is an opportunity to expand bilateral trade and strengthen the partnership between the two nations.

India had launched Operation Sindoor early on May 7 and hit terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. India effectively responded to subsequent Pakistani aggression and pounded its airbases. The two nations agreed on an understanding to halt military action on May 10.

However on May 23 and multiple other times, the US president claimed he played a role in settling the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar had reiterated that it was the militaries of the two nations that negotiated directly. (ANI)