Giving US access to agri sector criminal, Modi bulldozing India's foundation: Rahul Gandhi

Kannur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is sacrificing Indian farmers in favour of American companies by signing the India-US trade deal to protect himself and Gautam Adani, "the financial infrastructure of the BJP", said Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi.

Giving American farmers and companies access to India's agriculture sector would be a criminal act, he said. "No Indian Prime Minister would have allowed American farmers to sell soyabeans, corn or fruits in India because it would destroy the foundation we built so carefully," he said, adding that farmers and agriculture were the foundation of India.

Rahul Gandhi was speaking at a 'face-to-face with farmers' event at Thondiyil in Kannur's hill panchayat of Peravoor on Thursday.

Gandhi said the Green Revolution and the White Revolution happened because India believed it needed a strong foundation built on agriculture.

Gandhi said the trade talks between India and the US were stuck for four months because the Indian government did not want to open the agriculture sector to American companies. Then, India yielded. The Prime Minister started bulldozing the country's foundation because he was being threatened by American President Donald Trump over the Epstein Files and the case against Adani, said the Congress leader. "Nobody is saying anything. The media is silent," he said.

Gandhi said the 3.5 million files of convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein that have not yet been released contain information relating to the Prime Minister of India. "The information that was released about (Union minister) Hardeep Puri and (industrialist) Anil Ambani, in my view, is targeted at the Prime Minister," he said.

Gandhi said Adani was not a normal company. "It represents the financial infrastructure of the BJP and the Prime Minister. A case has been registered against Adani in the US. Mr Adani cannot leave the country today. The message to the Prime Minister is clear: if you do not do what we want, we will expose your financial architecture."

These two issues are why the Prime Minister is prepared to destroy the country's foundation, Gandhi said.

For the first time in history, the Leader of the Opposition was not allowed to speak during the Motion of Thanks to the Presidential Address, he said and added that it was because he was going to speak on these two issues. "Amit Shah stood up. The Prime Minister did not allow me to continue. Ministers were on their feet. The Speaker stopped me again and again,’ he said.

What Kerala farmers wanted
In the face-to-face event, Kerala farmers wanted solutions to man-animal conflict, price stability for produce, minimum support price for cash crops, adequate compensation and insurance, warehouse and cold storage.

One of the first persons to speak was Laisamma Alias, whose husband Alias Ambatt died by suicide on February 15. Alias of Cherupuzha panchayat was one of the biggest vegetable farmers and was once awarded the best farmer in Kannur district. Price crash and debt drove him to suicide. She met Rahul Gandhi on stage and held a private conversation. Her petition said the price of plantain was ₹60 per kg when he planted them, but the prices crashed to ₹27 at the time of harvest in February. He was growing plantain on 3.5 acres.

Student farmer with Down Syndrome
Ambarish, a student with Down syndrome, walked onto the stage with his mother and met Rahul Gandhi. They lingered in a warm, unhurried conversation.

Honoured as the Best Student Farmer in Peravoor panchayat, his journey began when his father once found him quietly tilling the soil. Asked what he was doing, Ambarish simply said he was farming. His father bought him the tools he needed. Today, that quiet determination has earned him recognition across the panchayat.

Ranjini Ratheesh, a school student from Aralam Farm in Kannur district, said she was attacked by an elephant when they went to the river. The elephant lashed her leg with its trunk and also tried to trample her in the water when she fell while trying to escape. But the Forest officials told the media that he was injured while fleeing and was not attacked by the elephant. She said she was sent home after five days in hospital, after which her family had to spend money on her treatment. "I was not given any compensation," she said. 

Amruta, a dairy farmer from Kealakam, said dairy farmers should be included in the rural job guarantee scheme for the added income. She sought subsidies for cattle feed and fodder, and said the power bulls for dairy farms should be converted to agricultural tariffs. Amruta also asked for animal ambulances and free treatment for cattle. 

Kunhabdulla, a paddy farmer, said the government was releasing payment for paddy after eight to nine months. "The last payment we received in December was for the harvest in March. The money is routed as a bank loan," he said. If the government delays the repayment, the farmer's credit rating is affected, and he is denied farm loans, he said.  

Cashew farmer Dijinith from Ayakkunnu near Iritty called for price stability. If the price today is ₹160, it drops to ₹60 during the harvest season. The cost of producing one kg of cashew ranges from ₹80 to ₹105, said Dijinith, who was awarded the best cashew farmer by the Union government in 2024-2025.

What Rahul promised
Gandhi acknowledged what they wanted and asked the farmers to ensure that their issues made it to the manifesto of the Congress.

On man-animal conflict, he said that if the UDF were voted to power, it would address it with sensitivity and come up with technology-driven solutions. "We are going to put together the best people and come out with a solution for this problem," he said.