Rahul Gandhi says Congress will stand by farmers over India-US trade deal

New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS) Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged that the proposed India-United States bilateral trade agreement would adversely affect Indian farmers, claiming that the government had opened the agriculture sector to foreign competition at the cost of domestic growers. 

In a video statement posted on X, Rahul Gandhi said cultivators of corn, soybean, cotton and fruits would be among the first to feel the impact. He further alleged that the government would gradually open the entire farm sector to foreign interests and corporate entities.

According to Rahul Gandhi, American farmers operate on large landholdings with mechanised equipment and receive substantial government subsidies, giving them a competitive advantage over Indian farmers, many of whom own small parcels of land and face challenges in securing a proper Minimum Support Price (MSP).

“The Prime Minister has sold out our soybean, cotton and fruit-growing farmers. This is just the beginning,” Rahul Gandhi said, alleging that foreign entities had long sought entry into India’s agriculture market and that the government had facilitated it.

He also claimed that external pressure had influenced the trade agreement, alleging that US President Donald Trump had exerted pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Reiterating that farmers form the backbone of the country, Gandhi said the Congress had historically fought for food security and would continue to stand with cultivators. He termed the Prime Minister “anti-farmer” and referred to the three farm laws introduced earlier, which the Opposition had described as “black laws”.

“You can register a case against me, bring a privilege motion, do whatever you want. I have spoken the truth in Parliament,” he said, adding that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and the entire party stood firmly with farmers.

The LoP Lok Sabha also responded to a move by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP to introduce a Substantive Motion in Parliament seeking cancellation of his Lok Sabha membership and a lifetime ban from contesting elections. In a social media post, he said he would not be deterred by any FIR, criminal case or privilege motion.

He added that any trade agreement that harms farmers’ livelihoods or weakens India’s food security would be opposed by the Congress at every level.

--IANS

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