New Delhi, November 10 (News Desk): A controversy has erupted over the Narendra Modi government’s engagement with American lobbying firms after disclosures filed under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) revealed that one such firm listed President Donald Trump’s congratulatory social media post about the Indian prime minister among its activities.
The disclosures have triggered a political row, with the Congress accusing the government of spending public money to secure favourable publicity for Prime Minister Modi from Trump.
However, the documents do not establish that Trump was paid to publish the message. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has rejected the allegation as misleading, saying the firm concerned only disseminated the US president’s post.
The controversy centres on Mercury Public Affairs, a US lobbying and public relations firm that was reportedly retained by the Indian Embassy in Washington for a monthly fee of $75,000.
What do the US filings reveal?
According to a report by The Indian Express, Mercury Public Affairs listed Trump’s June 2026 social media message congratulating Modi on becoming India’s longest-serving prime minister among the activities undertaken on behalf of the Indian Embassy.
The firm was reportedly engaged following Trump’s return to the White House.
Its team included Bryan Lanza, who served as communications director for Trump’s presidential transition team. Susie Wiles, who later became Trump’s White House chief of staff, had also been registered as a lobbyist with the firm until late 2024.
The FARA disclosures detail the firm’s activities and financial arrangements as required under US law.
Importantly, the filing records the dissemination of Trump’s post. It does not establish that the firm commissioned the original message or that the US president received money in exchange for publishing it.
Another firm received $150,000 per month
The disclosures also brought attention to a separate contract between the Indian Embassy and SHW Partners LLC, a lobbying firm headed by Jason Miller, an aide to Trump.
The firm was reportedly hired in April 2025 at a monthly retainer of $150,000, with the contract renewed for another year in April 2026.
Its responsibilities included strategic advice, tactical planning and government-relations assistance on policy matters involving the US government, Congress, state governments, academic institutions and think tanks.
In its latest FARA filing, SHW Partners listed eight phone calls arranged between Indian government representatives and senior Trump administration officials in May and June 2026.
The calls were described as part of the firm’s political activities and concerned India-US relations.
Officials named in the disclosures included US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Deputy National Security Adviser Michael Needham, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and White House communications officials.
The contract was terminated on June 23 after Miller joined the Trump administration as a special government employee.
Together, the two reported monthly retainers amounted to $225,000, or approximately $2.7 million annually if both had run concurrently for a full year.
Congress questions Modi government’s spending
The disclosures triggered criticism from the Congress, which questioned the rationale behind spending public money on lobbying firms connected to individuals in Trump’s political circle.
Congress leaders asked whether Indian taxpayers were effectively funding publicity for the prime minister and sought greater transparency about the purpose and outcomes of the contracts.
The party also questioned the reported appearance of Trump’s congratulatory message in Mercury’s list of activities.
The allegations have added a new dimension to the political debate surrounding the government’s handling of India-US relations.
MEA rejects allegations, says lobbying is longstanding practice
The Ministry of External Affairs rejected the characterisation of the disclosures, saying the appointment of lobbying firms by foreign missions in Washington was a longstanding and routine practice.
In a clarification issued on November 7, the ministry said the Indian Embassy had been engaging lobbying firms in the United States since 1948.
Addressing the Mercury Public Affairs filing specifically, the MEA said the document clearly mentioned that the firm’s role was limited to disseminating Trump’s post congratulating PM Modi on X.
The ministry maintained that the filing did not support the allegation that the US president had been paid to praise Modi.
What is FARA and why do the disclosures matter?
The Foreign Agents Registration Act is a US law requiring individuals and organisations acting on behalf of foreign governments or other foreign principals in specified political activities to disclose their relationships, activities and financial compensation.
The disclosures are intended to provide transparency about foreign influence and lobbying activities in the United States.
In this case, the filings have provided details of the Indian government’s engagement with American lobbying firms and the work undertaken by them.
The controversy, however, remains centred on the distinction between paying a lobbying firm to disseminate a public message and paying a foreign leader to issue that message.
There is no evidence in the cited filings that Trump personally received payment for his congratulatory post.