While giving a speech in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing critique of the Centre over a recently finalised trade deal with US President Donald Trump, arguing the INDIA bloc would have negotiated from a position of equality rather than subservience. Amidst significant uproar from the treasury benches, the Leader of the Opposition accused the government of letting Trump dictate terms and weakening India's stance, specifically targeting the Prime Minister for allegedly agreeing to lopsided conditions. Gandhi laid out three core principles he claimed the government should have followed when dealing with the unpredictable American leader.
First, he argued that India holds the key to protecting the US dollar through access to Indian data. "If the INDIA alliance were negotiating with President Trump, the first thing we would say is, if you want to protect your dollar, we are your friends... the biggest asset that can protect your dollar is with the Indian people," Gandhi stated, emphasising that access to this data requires treating India as an equal partner, not as "servants."
Secondly, he highlighted the necessity of protecting India's energy security, referencing Trump’s assertion that India had agreed to cease purchasing Russian oil under the new pact. Thirdly, Gandhi also addressed the agricultural sector, asserting that India must protect its farmers just as Trump protects his own voter base, stating, "We will not be made equal to Pakistan".
The trade agreement in question, reached last week, saw Trump reduce tariffs on Indian goods from 50 to 18 per cent. However, Gandhi seized upon Trump's claim regarding Russian oil purchases to accuse the Centre of outsourcing foreign policy decisions to Washington. In a particularly harsh moment, Gandhi demanded to know if the Prime Minister was ashamed of "selling India" by purportedly opening sensitive agricultural markets to American imports.
These assertions were opposed by the government. The Union Minister, Kiren Rijiju, strongly opposed the attacks made on PM Modi and asserted that no one had the power to sell India. Further, BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi marked the rhetoric of Gandhi as unbefitting and asserted that the UPA government had "sold" India during the negotiations concerning the nuclear deal with the US.
Also read: Delhi Police send notice to Penguin over Naravane Memoir issue
Follow us
