Congress and AAP leaders have criticized the recent India-US interim trade deal, claiming it burdens Indian exporters with high tariffs amid US President Trump's policies. Farmers' unions in Uttar Pradesh are also raising concerns about its impact on agriculture.
Opposition parties and farmers' groups have intensified criticism of the interim trade deal between India and the United States. Congress leader Pawan Khera stated that the deal has left India with an effective tariff burden of 18.4%, even as the Centre projects it as a diplomatic success.
Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal told reporters in Ahmedabad, 'The US has imposed 18 per cent tariff on Indian goods. This will disproportionately impact our farmers in competition. So why did Modiji sign this trade deal.' Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann are on a two-day visit to Gujarat.
In western Uttar Pradesh, farm politics has heated up. The Tikait faction of the Bharatiya Kisan Union has sought clarity on the deal's impact on Indian farmers. Rakesh Tikait described it as a unilateral US declaration and threatened agitation. A planned panchayat was postponed due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Meerut to inaugurate the final leg of the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor.
BKU president Naresh Tikait criticized Rashtriya Lok Dal president and Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary, calling him a 'local confectioner’s wasp' for supporting the deal. In Hindi, he said, 'Halwai ka tataiyaa halwai ko nahin kat sakta. Woh mithai par baith raha hai.' Chaudhary responded on X that he was not fond of sweets. He argued in meetings in Hathras and Bulandshahr that the deal benefits farmers, as Indian farmers are superior to those in the US and it will not lead to a flood of foreign wheat, sugar, or rice.
Rakesh Tikait posted a video clarifying that BKU and RLD are together, blaming media for confusion. He noted Chaudhary's response shows independence from the government's view. Sources in RLD said concerns are unfounded, as Punjab and Haryana farmer groups have not protested, finding it beneficial for basmati rice farmers.
The deal comes amid chaos from Donald Trump's tariffs, with the US Supreme Court ruling mentioned in related contexts.
