NEW DELHI, Feb 12: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched a forceful critique of the Modi government over the India-US interim trade deal, asserting that he would continue to stand firmly with farmers, even if the government filed cases or a privilege motion against him.
Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being “anti-farmer” and claimed the deal effectively “sells” India’s agricultural sector to foreign powers, particularly the United States. He also alleged that Modi is under a “chokehold” of US President Donald Trump, suggesting that the Prime Minister’s policy decisions are influenced by American interests.
In a video statement shared on X and WhatsApp, Gandhi said the trade agreement threatens India’s food security and the livelihoods of farmers, including cotton, soya, maize, and fruit growers.
He highlighted that most Indian farmers are smallholders lacking mechanisation, subsidies, and adequate support, leaving them unable to compete with large-scale, heavily subsidised American agriculture. Gandhi emphasised that neither farmers nor Parliament were consulted before the deal, which he described as compromising India’s agricultural sovereignty.
Gandhi also compared the deal to Modi’s earlier “black farm laws,” warning that the current agreement continues to prioritise billionaire business interests, such as those of Adani and Ambani, over the nation’s food providers. He reaffirmed that Congress, under Mallikarjun Kharge, would fight against such policies on every platform—from villages to Parliament—standing up for farmers’ rights and India’s food security.
Further, Gandhi criticised the government for failing to protect broader national interests, including data, energy, and food systems, and accused the BJP of compromising national welfare to safeguard its financial architecture.
He insisted that he would continue speaking the truth in Parliament, regardless of any legal action, pledging unwavering support for India’s farmers and the country’s agricultural future. Gandhi warned that unchecked implementation of such trade deals would open India’s agriculture to foreign powers while imperilling the livelihoods of millions of Indian farmers. (PTI)
