Flagging concerns over the India–US joint statement on the proposed trade deal, senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had misled the country by claiming to protect farmers’ interests, even as India’s agricultural market was opened to American goods at zero tax.
The AAP MP said the move would hurt Indian farmers, with cheap grain and fruits from the United States entering domestic markets, while India shifts from cheaper Russian oil to costlier imports from the United States and Venezuela, placing an additional burden of ₹80,000 crore on ordinary citizens.
On Saturday, senior AAP leader and MP Sanjay Singh issued a statement stated that “Yeh Desh Nahin Bikne Dunga,” “Atmanirbhar Bharat,” “Swadeshi Apnao Aur Desh Bachao” are all slogans and catchphrases of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. When the India–US trade deal was finalised, questions were raised even then that this deal was done after summons were issued to his friend Adani from the United States. This act of selling the country was carried out under pressure and solely to protect a friend.”
The AAP MP noted, “After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name appeared in the Epstein files, he bowed to pressure and sold the interests of crores of Indian farmers before the United States. When this was repeatedly pointed out, the government kept telling the country not to worry and claimed that farmers’ interests had been safeguarded. Union Minister Piyush Goyal lied in Parliament by saying that the agriculture sector was secure. Today, his reality and the truth stand exposed before the entire country.”
Sanjay Singh said, “The Government of India has sold out the interests of crores of farmers. Now expensive oil will be purchased from the United States and Venezuela, which will impose a burden of ₹80,000 crore on India. India has almost completely stopped buying oil from Russia, and this truth is now before the nation.”
Sanjay Singh said, “Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has issued a joint statement between India and the United States. As per the key conditions of the India–US interim agreement, India will eliminate or reduce import duties on all American industrial products and several American food and agricultural products. These include dried distillers grains, red sorghum for animal feed, dried fruits, nuts, fresh and processed fruits, soybean oil, wine, liquor and other products.”
He said, “The United States will impose an 18 percent reciprocal tax on products exported from India. These include textiles, garments, leather, footwear, plastics, rubber, organic chemicals, home décor items and handicrafts.”
Sanjay Singh said, “Goods going from India to the United States will face an 18 percent tax, while goods coming from the United States to India will be taxed at zero percent. The Modi government has promised the United States total trade access of 500 billion dollars, which is approximately ₹45 lakh crore, in the Indian market, and agriculture has also been included in this.”
He said, “This means Prime Minister Narendra Modi has signed the death warrant of crores of Indian farmers. An agreement has been signed with the United States for the destruction of the livelihoods of crores of farmers in this country.”
Sanjay Singh said, “American farmers receive subsidies ranging from ₹70 to ₹80 lakh, and according to annual figures, even more than ₹1 crore, whereas for Indian farmers, agriculture is a means of survival. An Indian farmer pays his children’s school fees by selling wheat and marries his daughter by selling grain. Yet Indian farmers have been sold off in the American market.”
Sanjay Singh said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has mortgaged the country’s self-respect and dignity because his friend Adani received summons and got trapped in corruption cases involving thousands of crores in the United States. Due to the pressure arising from his name appearing in the Epstein files, this step was taken.”
The AAP MP said, “India’s oil market has been opened for the United States, forcing citizens to suffer a loss of ₹80,000 crore every year. Instead of buying cheap oil from Russia, expensive oil is being bought from the United States and Venezuela. The Prime Minister must come forward and explain why he lied to and deceived the country on such a massive scale.
