Govt, Opp spar over India-US trade Deal

In a sharp critique during the Union Budget debate, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi accused the Modi government of “selling Bharat Mata” through the India-US interim trade deal, calling it a “wholesale surrender” that compromised India’s energy security and farmers’ interests. Gandhi alleged that no Indian Prime Minister, including Modi, would have agreed to the deal unless under a “chokehold” by the US, using a martial arts analogy to describe India’s submission. He said India is entering a dangerous global era, citing ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and the Middle East, and stressed the need to protect India’s people, data, food, and energy. Gandhi argued that an “INDIA bloc” government would have negotiated as an equal, safeguarding India’s data, energy, and agricultural interests while asserting the country’s sovereignty. Gandhi criticized the deal for handing over India’s energy security to the US, claiming the government has allowed foreign control over oil purchases and financial measures. He alleged that farmers, textiles, SMEs, and software engineers have been “sold out,” and that India has surrendered its future to protect the BJP’s financial interests abroad. He also attacked the government on digital trade, claiming it removed data localization, allowed free flow of Indian data to the US, limited digital taxes, waived source code disclosure, and offered long tax holidays to big tech companies. On tariffs, he said India’s average duty has risen from 3% to 18%, while US tariffs on Indian goods have fallen from 16% to zero. Gandhi argued that this disadvantages Indian farmers and exposes them to mechanized American agriculture, effectively crushing small-scale farmers. Throughout his speech, Gandhi repeatedly accused the government of surrendering India’s sovereignty, highlighting concerns over energy, agriculture, trade, and digital security. He concluded that the government has compromised India’s future, putting the country at a disadvantage while protect