Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi during the Budget Session of the Parliament
Credit; PTI Photo
Sharpening his attack on Modi and the centre, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Prime Minister has buckled under US pressure to finalise a trade deal and 'sold out' the hard work of Indian farmers through the agreement.
Rahul was addressing reporters outside the Parliament House complex after he was not allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha when he wanted to quote from former Army chief MM Naravane's unpublished "memoir".
This is the second day the row continued in the Lok Sabha and house proceedings could not go on as opposition leaders protested and even threw papers at the Chair.
Gandhi said it is for the first time in history that the Leader of Opposition has not been allowed to speak on the president's address.
"We need to understand why a trade deal stuck for about four months was suddenly finalised last evening," Gandhi said adding that "there was huge pressure on Prime Minister Modi".
President Donald Trump on Monday spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and announced on Truth Social a trade deal, which would lead to Washington, DC, lowering the reciprocal tariff on India from 25% to 18%, and New Delhi abolishing the tariffs and non-tariff barriers on imports from the United States.
Modi too took to the X to convey his “big thanks” to Trump for lowering the tariff on India’s imports to the US to 18%.
Asked what kind of pressure he was referring to, Gandhi alleged there is a case against industrialist Gautam Adani in the US and a lot more is to come in the Epstein files.
He alleged that Prime Minister Modi "has been compromised" and that Indian farmers must understand their hard work "as well as their blood and sweat" has been "sold out" through the India-US trade deal. He also said the entire country had been "sold out".
There was no immediate reaction from the BJP or the government.