Rahul Gandhi Criticizes India-US Trade Deal

Rahul Gandhi, a senior leader of the India===Indian National Congress and Leader of the Opposition, has launched a strong attack on the Indian government over a proposed interim trade agreement with the United States. He alleges that the deal compromises the interests of Indian farmers and threatens the country's agricultural sovereignty. Gandhi raised several questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, focusing on the implications of importing Distillers Dried Grains (DDG) and genetically modified (GM) soybean oil, and the potential impact on Indian cattle, dairy products, and soybean farmers. He also questioned the scope of 'additional products' and the removal of 'non-trade barriers,' fearing pressure to dilute India's policies on GM crops, procurement systems, and Minimum Support Prices (MSP). The Indian government, through figures like Amit Shah, has defended the deal, asserting that national interests are safeguarded and accusing Gandhi of spreading misinformation. The agreement involves the United States reducing tariffs on Indian goods while India increases purchases of American products. Rahul Gandhi also highlighted concerns that the deal, by favoring Bangladesh with zero percent tariffs, could negatively affect India's cotton farmers and textile exporters.