Rahul Gandhi blasts US trade deal, calls Modi govt sold off India

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday, accused the government of having "sold Bharat Mata" through the interim trade deal with the United States. He described the agreement as a "wholesale surrender," claiming that it jeopardised India's energy security and compromised farmers' interests.

During the debate on the Union Budget, Gandhi stated that if a government from the INDIA Bloc had negotiated the trade deal with the US, it would have insisted that US President Donald Trump treat India as an equal partner. "You have sold India. Are you not ashamed of selling India? You have sold our mother, Bharat Mata," he remarked while discussing the trade agreement.

He expressed concerns that the India-US trade deal endangers energy security, suggesting that the US would dictate whom India can purchase oil from. Gandhi further stated that farmers' interests had been undermined and warned that US agricultural products would flood Indian markets, posing a serious threat to local farmers. He also claimed that the Indian textile industry is effectively "finished."

Gandhi pointed out a contradiction in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NSA Ajit Doval's statements that the era of war is over, asserting instead that "the fact is, we are moving into the era of war." He emphasised the importance of recognising the nation's strengths, stating that India's central strength lies in its people. He concluded by highlighting the need to protect the nation's citizens, data, food supply, and energy systems.