BENGALURU, Feb. 4 -- Congress leaders on Tuesday mounted an attack on the India-United States trade agreement, describing it as "economically uneven" and questioning why key elements of the pact were being articulated by American officials. While the BJP hailed it as a milestone that would expand opportunities for people.

Priyank Kharge, state minister for electronics, compared the deal to the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), arguing that the government was celebrating a tariff reduction while ignoring what he portrayed as a structural imbalance. He said US duties on Indian goods had been brought down to 18%, while American products were entering India at zero tariffs.

"The government of India has become a madhouse. I...