New Delhi: Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday told the Lok Sabha that the India-US interim trade deal compromises India’s energy security and undermines protections for farmers, as he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “surrendering” New Delhi’s interests under pressure.
“It is a tragedy, because it is a surrender not just of the Prime Minister. He has surrendered the future of 1.5 billion Indians,” Rahul said, participating in the discussion on the Union Budget.
The speech, punctuated by frequent objections from the treasury benches and interventions by presiding officer Jagdambika Pal, was woven around Rahul’s arguments against the way the Centre negotiated the deal with the Donald Trump administration in Washington.
“The interesting thing is that I know the Prime Minister would not sell India under normal circumstances. He would not do it. Do you know why he sold India? He has sold India because they are choking him. They have got a grip on his neck,” Rahul said, restating his claim that the PM is “compromised”.
The LoP was prevented by the Chair from naming certain ministers and industrialists featured in the Epstein files, with several ministers and MPs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also objecting to Rahul highlighting those names.
“The nation has been sold out. Its data has been sold. Its farmers have been sold in a turbulent world. All its software engineers have been sold out. Its small and medium businesses have been sold out. And most importantly, our energy security has been sold out,” Rahul said.
The Congress has been questioning the interim deal primarily on three counts: America’s insistence that India has committed to stop purchasing oil from Russia; that India intends to purchase over $500 billion of US energy, information and communication technology, coal and other products; and reduced tariffs on certain US agricultural products.
Outside the House, Rahul suggested that the “pressure” on the Prime Minister he referred to in his speech could be linked to “US Department of Justice files on Epstein naming Hardeep Puri and Anil Ambani”.
“In an ongoing case against Adani, summons have been issued. The Government of India has not responded for the last 18 months,” Rahul told reporters. “There is direct pressure on the Prime Minister. The main thing is that no PM would do this in a normal situation. In a normal situation, no PM would do what has happened in terms of data, farmers, energy security and defence. Someone would do this only when there is a certain grip on them.”
Later, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that a privilege notice would be brought against the LoP. “He has made a serious allegation against minister Hardeep Singh Puri without giving any notice. It is a serious breach of privilege. We will file the necessary notice with the Speaker. LoP did not make any useful substantive contribution to the Budget Discussion. He was only making wild allegations,” the Union Minister said.
In his Lok Sabha speech, Rahul said he was particularly puzzled by the deal as the government had recognised in the Economic Survey that the world had entered an era of extreme uncertainty and intensifying geopolitical conflicts.
“So you are telling us that the world is a place where geopolitical conflict is intensifying. You’re telling us energy and finance are being weaponised, and then you’re having it done to you. You’re having it done to our farmers. You’re having it done to our youngsters. You’re handing our data over. Are you not ashamed of yourself?” he said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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