नवीनतम
Rahul Gandhi criticises India-US interim trade deal in LS
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that the government has "sold Bharat Mata" through the India-US interim trade deal and that it was a "wholesale surrender" with India's energy security handed over to America and farmers' interests compromised.
Participating in the debate on the Union Budget, he said that had an INDIA Bloc government negotiated the trade agreement with the US, it would have told US President Donald Trump that he should treat India as an equal.
He also said the world is moving into the era of war. "Thank You for letting me speak on the Budget. Some time back (Kiren) Rijiju asked me, how do I keep fit, I mentioned him, I do martial arts, lots of people in India do martial arts. Martial Arts foundation is on the grip, when we started, we try to take grip on the opponent," he said.
"The work starts from grip. Grip is in politics, business. Grip cannot be seen in politics. Energy and finance have been made weapons. We are moving from the world of stability to instability. We are moving into the era of war," he said.
"At the centre of this fight is the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI). I warn the government there are going to be consequences of AI. A lot of software engineers are going to be replaced by AI. We need to understand strengths of nation and individual. The biggest strength is 1.4 billion people. We have the biggest data pool on the planet," he said, adding the petrol for AI is data.
He said the Budget just reads like any of their Budgets. Rahul said if the Americans wants to remain superpower and want to protect the Dollar, the key to that is Indian data.
Rahul said, "I visited a Gurugram factory and they said we are finished due to tariffs. USA has reduced Bangladesh tariffs to zero and ours are reduced to 18 per cent. Our textile industry is gone."
"For the first time in Indian history, our farmers are facing a storm," he quipped. According to Rahul, the government has opened doors to crush Indian farmers and "it is disgraceful".
"We are facing a storm and you accept it. You have allowed Americans to weaponise our finances and energy. Our energy is weaponised. You have sold our mother, do you have no shame. Fear can be seen in the eyes of Prime Minister (Narendra Modi)," he added.
Jagdambika Pal, who was in the Chair, did not allow Rahul Gandhi to speak on Epstein Files. "The case in the United States is aimed at the Prime Minister of India," Rahul said.
"We have buckled on tariffs," he said. He maintained that the country's farmers have been left to mercy of mechanised American farms.
"This is an absolute surrender. Prime Minister has surrendered the future of 1.5 billion Indians," he added.
On Tuesday, as both Houses discussed the Budget, the Opposition MPs took the opportunity to slam the Centre over the framework of the India-United States interim trade agreement.
Initiating the discussion in the Lower House, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that the framework of the deal "appears far less like a free trade agreement and far more like a pre-committed purchase that overturns the very idea of reciprocity".
"How can one justify a so-called reciprocal tariff structure where tariffs of 18 per cent apply on one side and zero on the other? At a moment when India's total bilateral trade with the US is approximately 130 billion USD, and our trade surplus is only about 45 billion USD, how have we undertaken to purchase 500 billion USD worth of American goods over five years? This converts a surplus into a prolonged deficit not through market forces, but through executive assurances. No major economy has ever voluntarily undermined its own trade leverage in this fashion," he said.
The Congress MP slammed the Union Budget as a "squandered opportunity", alleging that it ignores unemployment, rising living costs, and inequality and offers little to address the real struggles and aspirations of the common man.
Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav asserted that the government has not negotiated a favourable deal with the Trump administration. He stressed the need to "focus on ground realities".
Speaking in the Lower House, Akhilesh Yadav said, "America se deal nahi dheel hui hai...Kyu jhoothe khayalon mein din-raat kare, jo banate hai hawa mein baaton ke mahal aao unse kuch zameeni baat karein. (Why waste day and night in false thoughts, let's talk to those who build castles in the air about something real)."
Participating in the discussion in Rajya Sabha yesterday, Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora said, during this very politically and economically tumultuous time, India stands alone as a rare island of macroeconomic growth and stability.
Surendra Singh Nagar of the BJP said the Budget prioritises increasing the economic growth rate, fulfilling people’s expectations and ensuring that in the social sector all schemes reach the people. Surendra Singh Nagar of the BJP said the Budget prioritises increasing the economic growth rate and fulfilling people’s expectations. He said, it also ensures that the benefits of all schemes reach the people. Masthan Rao Beedha of TDP said, this budget combines macroeconomic stability, infrastructure growth, technological transformation and social inclusion. Fauzia Khan of NCP-SCP expressed concern over the drop in child-focused expenditure.
Kanimozhi NVN Somu of DMK, Neeraj Dangi of Congress, and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray of TMC also spoke on the budget. In the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor initiated a discussion. He criticised the Budget, saying that government spending has reduced and tax receipts have remained flat.
He alleged that this year’s Budget ignored unemployment, rising living costs, and inequality. Participating in the discussion, Aparajita Sarangi of the BJP said, the Budget reflects commitment, conviction and consistency of the Government. She lauded the Government for signing free trade agreements with several nations, saying that India has shown its ability to cleverly navigate in a different changing world order.
Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party, Abhishek Banerjee of TMC, Anil Desai of Shiv Sena (UBT), Dileshwar Kamait of JDU, Dr. D Purandeswari of BJP and other Party MPs also spoke in the house.
