New Delhi, Feb 3 (IANS) Opposition leaders on Tuesday mounted a sharp attack on the India-US trade agreement, raising concerns over the country’s ‘sovereignty’, transparency in decision-making, and the possible long-term impact on farmers, energy security and foreign policy.
Leaders from the Congress party and Samajwadi Party questioned why key announcements were being made by US President Donald Trump instead of the Indian government and warned that the deal may disproportionately benefit the US.
Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat said there was little reason for celebration and criticised the sharp increase in tariff levels.
“I don’t think there is much to be happy about. Earlier, our tariff was around 3-4 per cent, and if we are now happy with it being 18 per cent, it is shocking to me. Why is President Trump informing us about trade agreements? Are we no longer a sovereign nation? Why is a leader of another country informing us? Now the US will decide from whom we should buy oil or trade, and receiving such crucial information from President Trump instead of the Prime Minister is not a good message for the country,” he told IANS.
Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav alleged that the US would never enter into an agreement without securing its own interests. “America is a very shrewd trader. It will never do anything that goes against its own interests, so there must be some hidden agenda. It could be about buying weapons, or about not sourcing oil from certain routes. They will never openly admit it, but there is definitely a hidden agenda,” he said.
Congress MP, Jebi Mather, questioned the optics and substance of the announcements. “Whether it is a ceasefire announcement or whether it is the trade deal announcement or cutting down, it seems to be President Trump making all the announcements. Has India surrendered to the US? This is the first thing we wish to ask. And also, the details that are coming out, there is a lot of smoke in the cloud. So that smoke has to be cleared,” she told IANS, adding, “What about the agricultural deal that is surfacing? What about farmers’ rights? What about buying oil, not from Russia, but from Venezuela and America? All these things are a lot of things coming up. Anyway, Parliament is in session. So let’s have it.”
SP MP Rajiv Rai echoed similar concerns, saying, “I don’t understand those people who used to say that a fall in the rupee’s value hurts the country’s pride. How much more will the nation’s pride suffer if we are being dictated by Trump and learning about every decision from him?”
Congress MP Ujjwal Raman Singh also flagged strategic concerns. “What are the conditions? India had longstanding relations with Russia and was purchasing oil at lower prices. Now the Indian government is being pressured to shift to Venezuela. The US President himself announced that India is safe only if it compromises on its previous agreements,” he said.
India and the US reached a trade deal on Monday following a phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump. Under the agreement, US tariffs on Indian goods have been reduced to 18 per cent, while India has agreed to ease certain trade barriers on American products.
The government has hailed the deal as a boost for Indian exports and global market access, while opposition parties continue to demand a detailed statement in Parliament.
–IANS
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