Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday launched a sharp counterattack against Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi after his scathing remarks in the Lok Sabha over the India-US trade deal, setting off a heated political exchange inside and outside Parliament.
Responding on X, Sitharaman wrote, “Who held you under their “choke” and “grip” Rahul Gandhi that you sold our farmers, our poor and India’s rights at the 2013 WTO meet in Bali? By that one single step, India had to stop procurement of wheat and paddy from our farmers.”
She further added, “That meant, from 2017, we could not be in a position to provide ration to our poor under Public Distribution. It was PM Narendra Modi who intervened and restored India’s sovereign policy space, saved our farmers and gave our poor free food grains. With this record of the @INCIndia, the LoP, stands up in the LS with baseless allegations against the @PMOIndia”
Rahul Gandhi’s Fiery Attack In Lok Sabha
Sitharaman’s remarks came after Rahul Gandhi delivered a combative speech in the Lok Sabha during a discussion on the Union Budget, accusing the Narendra Modi government of compromising national interests in the interim trade deal with the United States.
Attacking the Prime Minister directly, Gandhi said, “You have sold India. Are you not ashamed of selling India? You have sold our mother, Bharat Mata,” referring to the trade agreement.
He went further, alleging external pressure on the Prime Minister. “The interesting thing is that I know the Prime Minister would not sell India under normal circumstances. He would not do it. You know why he sold India? Because they are choking him… They have got a grip on his neck… We can see fear in the eyes of the Prime Minister. There are two things—first, Epstein. Three million files are still locked up.”
Allegations Over Farmers, Data And Tariffs
Continuing his criticism a day later, the Congress leader claimed that the deal would hurt Indian farmers by allowing American agricultural products to flood the domestic market. He also questioned the government’s decision to offer a long-term tax holiday to foreign companies.
Criticising the digital trade provisions, he said, “You’ve done a trade deal… The thing that is going to transform India in the 21st century, the thing that is going to make us a superpower, is what the Modi government has done with our data. We give up control over our digital trade rules. Number two, there is no need for data localisation. Number three, free data flow to the United States. Number four, a limit on digital tax. Number five, no need to disclose any source code… A 20-year tax holiday for anybody who wants it, for big tech companies. This is what you’ve done on data.”
Speaking on India-US trade deal, he said, “3 per cent was average tariffs, now it is 18 per cent, 6x increase; US imports to go up from $46 billion to $146 billion, this is absurd and they have no commitment to us.”
The sharp exchange has further escalated tensions between the ruling BJP and the Congress, with the trade deal emerging as the latest flashpoint in Parliament.