Congress Insists On Need Of Extradition Treaty With UK Ahead Of India Signing FTA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the United Kingdom on Wednesday, kicking off the first leg of his two-nation tour. India and the UK are to sign a 'Free Trade' agreement on Thursday. Ahead of it, the Congress remarked — The FTA India needs is a 'Fugitive Transfer Agreement'.

In an X post, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Three stars of the Modi Model of bhagodanomics are still waiting for their ghar wapsi — Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, and Lalit Modi. There may well be others, too. The India-UK FTA (Free Trade Agreement) will be signed today in London in the presence of Prime Minister Modi. What India needs from the UK is the announcement of another and more effective FTA (Fugitive Transfer Agreement)."

The India-UK FTA, billed as the UK's most economically significant bilateral trade deal since leaving the European Union, will be signed in the presence of PM Modi and his British counterpart, Keir Starmer.

The two prime ministers will also unveil an "UK-India Vision 2035" to take their partnership to new heights in a time of rapid global change.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Congress had claimed that serious questions had emerged on its impact on India's domestic industry.

In May, India and the UK sealed the FTA that is expected to benefit 99 per cent of Indian exports from tariffs and will make it easier for British firms to export whisky, cars and other products to India, besides boosting the overall trade basket.

According to a fact sheet from the United Kingdom, the FTA is expected to increase two-way trade from the current level of almost $58 billion to $34 billion in the long run for the UK.

The trade deal, firmed up after three years of negotiations, is expected to ensure comprehensive market access for Indian goods across all sectors, and India will gain from tariff elimination on about 99 per cent of tariff lines (product categories) covering almost 100 per cent of the trade values, according to officials.

In an interview with PTI, British foreign secretary David Lammy described the deal as a testament to the strength of the partnership between the two nations.

“The UK is thrilled that Prime Minister Modi is visiting to sign the FTA, the most significant bilateral trade deal for Britain since leaving the European Union (EU) and the most comprehensive agreement India has ever signed,” he said.

A new UK-India Vision-2035 roadmap will also be unveiled by the Prime Ministers of both the nation.