Oppn hit out at govt over manner of US trade deal announcement

New Delhi: Opposition Rajya Sabha members on Tuesday hit out at the government over the manner in which India’s trade deal with the US was announced and sought details of the pact.

Participating in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in the Upper House, Abdul Wahab (IUML) mocked at the way US President announced the deal while the Indian government only responded later.

“I congratulate (US President) Donald Trump for giving us the subsidy, making it 18 per cent. Again (like) Operation Sindoor he has given a timely address to our government,” Wahab said, while opposing the presidential address.

On Monday, Trump in a social media post announced that India and the US agreed to a trade deal under which Washington would bring down reciprocal tariff on Indian goods to 18 per cent from the current 25 per cent, after a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Ranjeet Ranjan (Congress) expressed concern over the manner in which the US trade deal was announced and said, “I am worried about the farmers.”

On the one hand the recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee report has not been implemented and on the other India has agreed a pact with the US, she said.

Ranjan sought to know what sort of deal was being given to the US, specially with regards to the dairy sector.

“The government must take in to confidence this House, the Opposition and tell the details,” she asserted.

Taking part in the discussion, Vikram Singh Sahney (AAP) said, “Progress of our nation cannot be measured by how high the our Sensex soars but by how secure the farmers feel on their soil.”

There will be ‘Viksit Bharat’ only when each farmer gets the right price for his produce, each youth gets employment, each child gets affordable education and each micro enterprise gets the right environment to thrive, he asserted.