Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi slammed the India-US trade deal as 'treacherous,' alleging the government was 'arm-twisted' and handed national interests to the US. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan countered, assuring farmers' interests are protected.
Chaturvedi calls trade deal 'treacherous'
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Sunday criticised the India-US interim trade agreement, calling it "treacherous". Chaturvedi said the government has handed over the country's national interests and policy to the US. She also urged that the deal be discussed in Parliament. The framework for the trade agreement with the United States reduces tariffs on Indian goods in the US to 18 per cent, while Washington has claimed the deal will help it export more agricultural products to New Delhi.
Speaking to ANI, Chaturvedi said, "This is not a confident trade deal. This is a treacherous deal where the US has issued a decree dictating what kind of deal India should sign... They have completely handed over our national interest and national policy to the USA for them to decide."
"This is betrayal, and under what compulsion was this done? Today, the government will have to come to the floor of Parliament to discuss this trade agreement... Government have been arm-twisted, and what were their reasons? All this should be discussed on the platform of Parliament," she said.
Govt says farmers' interests fully protected
Earlier in the day, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the framework for the trade agreement with the United States will not harm Indian farmers and that the US has, in fact, reduced tariffs on several Indian farm exports to zero. He said that Indian farmers' interests have been fully protected in the trade deal with the US, adding that no key crops, fruits, dairy products or spices have been opened to American imports.
Addressing a press conference in Bhopal, Chouhan said, "PM Modi said that he will not let the country bow down and will not allow any harm to the interests of the farmers. This trade deal has taken both of these into account... If we look at agriculture and agricultural products, no product has been included to harm Indian farmers. All such products have been excluded from the trade deal." (ANI)
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