The tension in Parliament reached a boiling point on Tuesday as Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi voiced sharp concerns over the opaque nature of the new India-US trade agreement. Speaking to reporters, Kanimozhi pointed out a troubling lack of communication from the Prime Minister’s office, noting that most of what the public knows currently comes from Washington rather than New Delhi. She particularly wondered if the interests of Indian farmers were compromised when US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said that India had offered “unprecedented access” to its agricultural markets.
Kanimozhi was not diplomatic about the procedural slight when she said that it is “very confusing” that such a huge agreement is sidestepped in Parliament when the House is in session. "Everything is being announced by the President of the United States, and we don’t know, actually, what is in it," she remarked, emphasising that the government owes the country a clear explanation of the deal's fine print.
The pushback from the Opposition triggered a defensive response from the Treasury benches. Union Minister JP Nadda stepped up in the Rajya Sabha to calm the waters, promising that the government would soon issue a suo motu statement to clarify the details. Nadda linked the development to recent social media exchanges where the US President praised Prime Minister Modi as a "true friend" following a breakthrough on tariffs. According to current reports, the deal has already seen tariffs on Indian exports drop from 25 percent to 18 per cent.
However, the promise of a future statement did little to quiet the floor. Nadda also took the chance to lash out at the Congress party and the larger INDI alliance for their "irresponsible behaviour," calling their slogans a threat to democracy. He also brushed off the protests as a result of political frustration, even as the government readies itself for a formal discussion to address the growing list of questions surrounding the agricultural concessions.
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