‘Trust India, Not Foreign Statements’: Piyush Goyal
Union Minister Counters Claims on India–US Trade Talks, Defends Mumbai’s Growth Push
- Piyush Goyal dismisses speculation over stalled India–US trade deal
- Says trade negotiations are complex and held behind closed doors
- MEA says Modi–Trump held eight calls in 2025 on bilateral ties
- Goyal backs Mumbai’s infrastructure push ahead of civic polls
GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 11th Jan: Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday urged people to trust India’s negotiating process, a day after the Ministry of External Affairs rejected claims that an India–US trade agreement failed to materialise due to a lack of communication between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump.
Responding to remarks by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that Washington had moved ahead with other countries after negotiations with India “failed”, Goyal said such matters should not be judged by external statements.
“Trust your country, your motherland, not foreign statements,” Goyal said at the NDTV Power Play conclave, adding that trade negotiations involve complex issues that are discussed behind closed doors rather than in public forums.
The MEA had earlier described Lutnick’s characterisation of the talks as “not accurate”, stating that India and the US have been engaged in sustained and detailed discussions on a bilateral trade agreement for over a year. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Prime Minister Modi and President Trump spoke on the phone eight times in 2025, covering multiple aspects of the India–US partnership.
Addressing the conclave ahead of Maharashtra’s civic body elections on January 15, Goyal also dismissed divisive political narratives, saying no one is an outsider in Mumbai. He said several infrastructure projects are underway to address the city’s traffic challenges and added that citizens are prepared to endure short-term inconvenience for long-term benefits.
“The people of Mumbai are willing to suffer short-term pain for long-term gain,” he said, crediting Prime Minister Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for a futuristic development vision.
Goyal further claimed that veteran NCP leader Sharad Pawar and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule regret their decision to align with the opposition front against the BJP and are now seeking a political course correction by coming together with Ajit Pawar for the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections.
