Farmers betrayed

New Delhi: The Union government and the Opposition continued to spar over the India-US trade deal on Sunday, with the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi posing some “simple questions” and Home Minister Amit Shah accusing the Congress leader of spreading lies about the trade deal.

Rahul Gandhi sought to target the Centre in connection with the trade deal between India and United States, particularly alleging that it would affect Indian farmers.

Continuing his criticism on Sunday,Rahul in a post on X posed “simple questions”, claiming that the deal would lead to a “betrayal of Indian farmers.” The Lok Sabha LoP inquired about the importing of the Distillers Dried Grains (DDG) and urged the Centre to clarify the “additional products” and removal of “non-trade barriers”, among other questions.

Rahul asked whether Indian cattle will be fed DDG made from genetically modified (GM) American corn. “Won't this effectively make our dairy products dependent on the American agricultural industry?” Rahul questioned.

The Congress MP further inquired about the “soy farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and across the country” if India allows the import of GM soy oil. “How will they withstand another price shock?” Rahul asked in the post on X.

Rahul also asked about “additional products” and what it would include, questioning whether this would “signal pressure to open pulses and other crops to US imports over time.” The Rae Bareli MP also sought information on the removal of “non-trade barriers”. “Will India be pressured in the future to loosen its stance on GM crops, weaken procurement, or reduce MSPs and bonuses?” Rahul asked.

He also questioned how the Centre would prevent “this door” from “opening further each year.” “Will it be prevented, or will each deal gradually put more crops on the table?” Rahul said.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah termed the Congress's allegations of the trade deal harming farmers as “laughable.” He further accused Rahul of “spreading lies” and misleading farmers. Shah said the Centre has fully safeguarded the country's agriculture and dairy sectors in the trade deal.

“I feel like laughing when Congress's Shahzada Rahul Gandhi stands in Parliament and talks about protecting farmers. The Congress has a long history of misleading the country and now they are spreading lies about trade deals,” Shah told a gathering in Gandhinagar. He further assured farmers, cattle-rearers and fishermen that in trade deals signed with the European Union, England and America, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “safeguarded your interests completely.” “There is no need to worry,” Shah added. Hesaid that “full protection” had been given to dairy, saying that the NDA had expanded the sector, “not weakened it.”