Rahul Meets Farmers Over US Trade Deal, BJP Hits Back

• Rahul Gandhi meets 17 farmer unions in Parliament
• Farmers express fears over India–US trade framework
• BJP calls the meeting artificial and misleading
• Government says most farm products excluded from deal

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 14th Feb: Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met representatives of farmer unions at his Parliament office to discuss concerns over the proposed India–US interim trade framework, triggering a sharp response from the BJP.

According to party sources, Gandhi met leaders from 17 major farmer organisations from across the country. The farm representatives expressed fears that the trade deal could adversely affect producers of corn, soybean, cotton, fruits, and nuts.

They called for a nationwide movement to resist the agreement and safeguard farmers’ rights and incomes.

The BJP dismissed the meeting as “stage-managed” and accused Gandhi of spreading misinformation. Union Minister Piyush Goyal said the interaction was based on “fake” and “fabricated” narratives.

“Mr Rahul Gandhi has once again rolled out a stage-managed, most artificial and fake narrative,” Goyal said in a video message. He alleged that some participants were Congress activists posing as farmer leaders and accused the opposition of trying to mislead farmers.

Goyal said the government had ensured that farmers’ interests were protected in the trade negotiations.

Officials have said the interim India–US trade agreement aims to reduce tariff barriers while balancing domestic agricultural sensitivities. According to the government, the US has agreed to reduce reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods from as high as 50 per cent to 18 per cent, benefiting exports in sectors such as textiles, leather, footwear, and pharmaceuticals.

The Centre has also stated that 90 to 95 per cent of Indian agricultural products have been excluded from the deal, in order to safeguard farmers’ interests.