'Not a fair fight': Rahul targets PM Modi, calls US trade deal 'one-sided pressure' on farmers

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday continued his attacks on the PM Modi-led Centre over the recently finalised India-US trade deal, calling the Prime Minister “Narendra Surrender Modi” and alleging that he has “betrayed” the country’s farmers, who, he said, “have realised this.” He also said that the deal is “not a fair fight” for farmers.Escalating his offensive, Rahul Gandhi targeted the Union government, saying, “This isn’t just a trade deal; it’s a direct attack on the livelihoods of our food providers.” Taking to X, Rahul Gandhi posted a video of his meeting with a delegation of farmers’ unions and wrote, “In today’s meeting in Parliament with the delegation from farmers’ unions, their concerns were clearly evident. Farmers, already grappling with inflation, rising costs, and uncertainty over MSP, are now being left unprepared to face foreign crops backed by massive subsidies and mechanised strength.”He added, “This isn’t a fair fight; it’s one-sided pressure. The government’s empty assurances won’t wash anymore. The future of our farmers cannot be bartered away without their consent.”Reiterating his and his party’s stance, Rahul said, “Come what may, the Congress Party and I stand with India’s food providers for their rights, security, and dignity.”Earlier as well, Rahul Gandhi had criticised the Centre over the deal with Washington, alleging that the agreement “betrays our food security and farmers,” and claiming that PM Modi opened India’s agricultural market because US President Donald Trump “has him by the throat.”Responding to the allegations and clarifying the Centre’s position, Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Shivraj Singh Chouhan rejected Rahul Gandhi’s claims, calling them “baseless” and accusing him of having “no concern for Bharat.”Goyal termed Rahul a “habitual liar” and accused him of “misleading farmers with a fake narrative and trying to provoke them.”“He has never cared for our motherland, nor can we expect him to work for a strong and prosperous future for India,” Goyal added.In a separate post on X, agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also criticised Rahul, saying, “Rahul Gandhi is a liar and has nothing to do with the interests of farmers. He consistently speaks against the nation’s interests. He has broken all records of lying and wants to mislead the nation. PM Modi has always taken decisions in the best interests of farmers. Farmers are fully protected under the Indo-US trade agreement.”The war of words comes just days after India and the United States unveiled their new trade framework, the result of months of negotiations that began in February 2025. Under the agreement, tariffs on Indian exports to the US will drop sharply, from 50% to 18%, a move the government says will boost Indian trade and competitiveness.