‘Compromised PM Modi again surrendering to U.S. pressure’: Rahul on government's UPI move
Rahul Gandhi has accused the Modi government of preparing to impose fees on UPI transactions to appease American firms. The government has clarified that transactions up to ₹2,000 remain free, but the opposition claims the policy shift is a surrender to U.S. pressure.
Why it matters
The dispute touches on the future of India's digital payment infrastructure and the political sensitivity surrounding foreign influence on domestic economic policy.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday (September 15, 2026) alleged that the Modi government has quietly paved the way for imposing fees on UPI transactions and that a "compromised" Prime Minister Narendra Modi was "once again surrendering" to American pressure.
The Congress raised questions over the government's notification on UPI transactions, claiming that the stage is clearly being set for people to pay a fee for such transactions and asking whether this is being done to open digital payments for American firms to "appease" U.S. President Donald Trump.
In a post in Hindi on X, Mr. Gandhi alleged that the Modi government has quietly paved the way for imposing fees on UPI.
"Now, MDR can be levied on merchant UPI transactions above ₹2,000. Even if these transactions account for just 5% of the volume, they make up nearly 65% of UPI's total transaction value," Mr. Gandhi said.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in