Rahul Gandhi on Friday met a delegation of farmers at his Parliament office to hear their concerns regarding the proposed India-US trade agreement. The move triggered a sharp response from the Bharatiya Janata Party, which described the interaction as “stage-managed” and accused the Congress leader of promoting what it called misleading narratives.
Farm unions raise concerns over trade deal
Gandhi, who serves as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, held discussions with representatives of 17 major farmer unions from across the country. According to participants, the unions expressed apprehension that the trade framework could adversely affect Indian farmers, especially those cultivating corn, soybean, cotton, fruits and nuts.
The farmer representatives urged the need for a nationwide movement to oppose the agreement, arguing that it could undermine farm incomes and weaken protections for the agricultural sector.
BJP counters allegations
In a post on X, the BJP shared the picture of Rahul's meet, marking several people present as Congress leaders of allies in Haryana and Punjab.
"Another lie of RaGa, exposed before the nation. What was claimed to be a meeting with farmers was actually a gathering of Congress workers. Rahul Gandhi has politicised and disrespected almost every institution and community of this country, and now he is not even sparing farmers," the party wrote in the post.
"Stage-managed politics cannot replace real leadership. The country deserves honesty, not scripted narratives and political gimmicks of Congress," it added.
Responding to the meeting, Union Minister Piyush Goyal dismissed Gandhi’s claims as “fake” and “fabricated”. He alleged that the interaction was intended to create confusion among farmers and stir sentiment against the government’s economic policies.
In a video statement posted on X, Goyal said the meeting was an attempt to build what he termed an artificial narrative by presenting party activists as farmer leaders. He maintained that the government had fully safeguarded farmers’ interests in the India US trade framework.
India-US trade deal
The interim trade agreement between India and the United States focuses on reducing tariff barriers while addressing India’s domestic agricultural sensitivities and the US demand for greater market access.
Under the arrangement, the US has agreed to lower reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods from levels as high as 50 per cent to 18 per cent, benefiting sectors such as textiles, leather, footwear and pharmaceuticals.
The government has stated that 90 to 95 per cent of Indian agricultural products remain excluded from the agreement, asserting that the deal protects the interests of farmers while promoting export growth.
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