Barnala: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Saturday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that he buckled under US pressure and surrendered India’s interests in the trade deal.Addressing a kisan rally in Barnala,around 180km from Chandigarh, Rahul said the India-US trade deal will destroy Indian farmers, and claimed PM Modi has given a guarantee to US President Donald Trump to buy US products worth Rs 9 lakh crore every year. “Imagine what will happen to our small-scale and medium-scale industries. They will be destroyed,” he said.The India-US deal was stuck for four months as PM Modi hesitated to open up agriculture, he said, wondering why the PM then wrapped up the trade deal “in 15 minutes all of a sudden”.“Without taking anyone, including the cabinet, in confidence, Narendra Modi called up the US President. Trump tweeted that Modi called him and thus the deal was clinched and Modi surrendered the interests of the country by signing the death warrants of farmers and workers,” said Rahul, adding that no other PM, be it from Congress or BJP, had opened up the agriculture sector.“The opening up of imports in soyabean, pulses, cotton, fruits, nuts, apricot and many others is no less than a death warrant for small farmers as they cannot compete with US farmers who have much bigger, mechanised farms. When these products start coming to India, it will be like a ‘toofan’ (storm) for our farmers. Punjab farmers have been at the forefront in ensuring food safety and security of the nation, but they will be hit the hardest,” the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said.Not only agriculture, but the Modi also led govt has agreed to hand over India’s crucial data to the US, Rahul alleged.“China has the biggest data in the world followed by India. To fight with China, US needs India’s data as without data, AI has no meaning. If the last century was of oil, the 21st century is of data and data is in your hands. This data belongs to the country and the US needs it. In the deal it has been written that Narendra Modi handed over the data to the US and the US can keep this data wherever it wants to keep. I am speaking with full responsibility that agriculture and data, which are the future of the country, have been handed over to the US,” said Rahul. He went on to say that India’s energy security is jeopardised as Indian govt has agreed to purchase oil from wherever the US asks it to. “We will not be able to buy oil from Russia or Iran. If you (US) tell us to buy oil from Venezuela, US and Saudi Arabia, India’s entire energy security is finished,” Rahul added.He recalled the Presidential address and said, “I was stopped from speaking in Parliament because I was talking about the things (contents from Gen Naravane’s book) that BJP does not like and doesn’t want to come in public domain.”Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge said people of Punjab have to fight on two fronts – BJP and AAP. “Congress is acting as per Bhagat Singh’s ideals but some people use his photo without following his ideals (pointing towards AAP). Punjab is known for fighting for social justice, right from Guru Nanak Dev. This place is known for secularism but now law and order is under threat yet state govt is unmoved and acting like BJP’s B-team,” he said.“Congress gave the country MGNREGA but central and state govts tried to crush it. Congress brought about a lot of laws but this govt is destroying everything, dismantling the public sector, and taking the country towards slavery. BJP’s B-Team is following it,” Kharge said, urging people of Punjab to fight against VBGRAMG “with the same spirit as they fought against the black laws”.Cornering AAP govt on drugs, Kharge said: “Drugs are coming from Pakistan though 50km area (from the border) is under the home ministry. Why is home minister Amit Shah failing to control it? If Punjab is safe, the country is safe. Punjab needs a strong government,”: he added.Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, LoP Partap Singh Bajwa, ex-CM Charanjit Singh Channi were at the rally. Warring said Malwa region has turned out to be a stronghold of AAP and Congress should start its fight there.
