PM ‘sacrificing farmers’ in trade pact: Rahul

Kozhikode: Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of sacrificing India's farmers through the proposed India–US trade deal, terming it a ‘criminal act' to open the domestic agricultural market to American producers. Speaking at an interaction with farmers in Peravoor in Kannur, Rahul alleged that the Prime Minister was under pressure to agree to the deal due to two issues—the unreleased Epstein files and a case involving the Adani Group in the United States. "I can tell you with confidence that no Indian PM would do this. Allowing American farmers to sell soyabean, corn and fruits in India is going to destroy the foundation we have built so carefully. The whole Green Revolution and White Revolution happened because we believed that we needed a foundation built in agriculture," Rahul said. He further alleged that US President Donald Trump was exerting pressure on the Prime Minister. Rahul also claimed that ruling party members in the Lok Sabha prevented him from speaking in Parliament as he intended to raise these matters. "The first concerns the 3.5 million Epstein files that have not been released. Please understand they are held secret by the US govt. These files have information about the PM of India," Rahul alleged, adding that the second threat was the case involving the Adani Group in the US. "The threat to the PM is very clear- If you do not do what we want, we will release to everybody the entire financial architecture of you and BJP," Rahul said, adding that those were the two reasons that made Modi agree to the Indo-US trade deal, which he said, amounts to destroying the agricultural foundation of India using a JCB. "Indian farmers are being sacrificed so that the PM can protect himself and can protect the financial foundation of BJP," Rahul added.