New Delhi: A political row erupted on Friday over the India–US interim trade agreement, with two senior Union ministers strongly rejecting allegations made by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi regarding the deal’s impact on farmers.
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan accused Gandhi of misrepresenting facts about the agreement. In separate video statements shared on social media platform X, both ministers asserted that the interests of India’s farming community have been safeguarded and that no provision in the pact undermines their welfare.
The ministers pushed back after Gandhi released a video message criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the interim trade deal with the United States compromises national and agricultural interests. Terming the allegations baseless, Goyal and Chouhan maintained that the agreement was negotiated with careful consideration for domestic stakeholders, particularly farmers, and said attempts to create confusion would not succeed.
The exchange has added fresh heat to the ongoing political debate over trade policy, with the government insisting that the agreement balances global engagement with protection of key domestic sectors.
