India-US trade deal: Kharge targets Centre; Goyal calls decision 'landmark step'

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the IndiaUS trade deal while commerce and industry Minister Piyush Goyal described the agreement as a landmark step in strengthening IndiaUS relations and advancing the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047He said both sides would now complete technical processes and paperworkldquoI wish to reiterate to this august House that Indias core sensitivities in food and agriculture have been fully safeguardedrdquo Goyal saidKharge with contrasting views alleged that it would harm Indian farmers and weaken the countryrsquos agriculture sector Speaking during the Motion of Thanks to the Presidentrsquos Address in the Upper House Kharge accused the government of sidelining Parliament and prioritising foreign interests over farmersInsult to ParliamentKharge said Parliament learned about the trade deal from US President Donald Trump while the House was in session ldquoThe fact that parliamentarians came to know about the IndiaUS trade deal from President Trump and not the government is an insult to Parliamentrdquo he said adding that Trump appeared to be ldquotelling what India should do and how to run it from the USrdquoQuoting US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins Kharge said ldquoThe new USIndia deal will export farm products to Indias massive markets lifting prices and pumping cash into rural Americardquo ldquoMeaning American farmers will benefitrdquo he said asking the government ldquoTell us are you government working for the welfare of farmers or are you against the farmersrdquo according to PTIZeroTariff Imports a ThreatKharge alleged that American farm imports would enter India at zero tariff while Indian exports would face an 18 percent duty ldquoIndian farmers will be destroyed by this dealrdquo he said accusing the government of wanting to ldquodestroyrdquo the agriculture sector He also criticised the government for what he called a pattern of ignoring farmersrsquo concerns over the past 11 years the government had ldquobulldozedrdquo social justice equality and parliamentary democracyHe alleged the weakening of the Constitutionrsquos four pillarsmdashjustice liberty equality and fraternitymdashand said atrocities against minorities tribals and women had increased under NDA ruleManipur Minorities and Silenced ParliamentKharge said any talk of social harmony must include Manipur where at least 200 people have died and 70000 displaced ldquoYou have made Manipur a militarised zonerdquo he said noting it took two years for the Prime Minister to visit the stateHe also accused the government of stifling parliamentary debate by rejecting Opposition demands and pushing laws without proper scrutinyInequality Jobs and Labour LawsCiting the World Inequality Report Kharge said 1 per cent of Indians hold 40 per cent of the nationrsquos wealth and questioned what the government had done to address inequalityHe flagged rising unemployment criticised new labour codes and accused the government of dismantling worker protections to benefit ldquocorporate friendsrdquoTaking a dig at the lsquoAchche Dinrsquo slogan he said pollution has become so severe that people are forced to buy air purifiersldquoThose who talk about ease of doing business cant give ease of breathingrdquo he slammed