Nagpur: Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar on Monday criticised the Centre over India’s agreement with the United States, alleging that it would adversely affect agriculture, industry and economic policy, and compromise the country’s sovereignty. He also said that VBA is planning a protest rally on March 2 in Mumbai.Addressing a press conference in Nagpur, Ambedkar claimed that the terms of the agreement would hurt the agricultural sector and extend beyond it to influence industrial and economic decisions. Ambedkar alleged that policy direction would effectively shift in favour of the US. “Through this agreement, the govt mortgaged India’s sovereignty to America,” he said.
Ambedkar alleged that earlier, export duty to the US stood at around 2.5%, but would now rise to 18%, “while imports from the US would attract zero duty”. He further claimed that under the agreement, the US would monitor industrial and economic policy and influence decisions and would weaken India’s independent decision-making. The senior politician said opposition must speak not only about agriculture but also about the broader policy implications.
