Bhopal, Feb 24 (PTI) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could not stand firm when threatened with tariffs by the United States.
Speaking at a farmers’ `Mahachaupal’ rally here, he accused the prime minister of “selling out the country” and “cowardice”, and said a trade agreement which “mortgages the country” was not acceptable to the Congress.
“A deal is done between two equals. Modi was made to bend…threatened with tariffs,” said Kharge, referring to the Indo-US trade deal.
He also contrasted India’s stand with that of Brazil, and claimed that its president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva advised Modi during his visit not to give in to US’s pressure, and stand for Indian farmers as he (Lula) himself was doing.
“But Modi ji does not have the strength to speak against Trump. He (Lula) asked other countries to fight unitedly against Trump. But he (Modi) is not doing it,” said Kharge.
US President Donald Trump was behaving like the eccentric 14th century Delhi ruler Muhammad bin Tughlaq while prime minister Modi was behaving like (Adolf) Hitler, said the Congress president.
India was being pushed into “slavery” under pressure from the United States president, he said.
Kharge also repeated the allegation that Operation Sindoor against Pakistan was halted under pressure from Trump.
Congress leaders and workers were being intimidated and abused, and the Youth Congress workers were being harassed, he said.
“We chased away the British. We are patriots and did not write apology letters,” Kharge said.
The Congress chief also accused the Modi government of stopping the purchase of cheap fuel from Russia and Iran due to the US’s pressure. PTI LAL KRK
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