New Delhi, February 13 Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi met leaders of farm unions from across the country in the Parliament House complex on Friday, during which the need for a nationwide movement to oppose the India-US interim trade deal, as well as to safeguard the livelihoods of farmers and farm laborers, was discussed.
During the meeting, the farm union leaders expressed their opposition to the India-US trade deal, and conveyed their deep concern for the livelihoods of farmers of corn, soybean, cotton, fruits, and nuts, the Congress said.
Gandhi said the trade deal has opened the door for agricultural imports, and that many other crops would soon follow, according to the party.
The farm leaders and Rahul Gandhi discussed the need for a large-scale national movement to oppose the deal, and to safeguard the livelihoods of farmers and farm laborers, it said.
The farm leaders who met Gandhi here included Sukhpal S Khaira, chief of All India Kisan Congress; Ashok Balhara of the Bharatiye Kisan Mazdor Union, Haryana; Baldev S Zira of the BKU Krantikari; R. Nand Kumar of the Progressive Farmers Front; Amarjit S Mohri of the BKU Shaheed Bhagat Singh; Guramneet S Mangat of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha -- India; and Hameed Malik of the J-K Zamidara Forum, among others.
Khaira said a delegation of various Kisan Unions met Gandhi in his Parliament office to discuss the "anti-farmer" Indo-US treaty. Khaira alleged that the deal is nothing but a complete surrender before the Americans.
The meeting comes a day after Gandhi asserted that the government can file cases or a privilege motion against him, but he will stand strongly with farmers. He had also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being "anti-farmer" and "selling" the country through the India-US interim trade deal.
The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha had shared a video statement on X in which he made a scathing attack on the government over the India-US interim trade deal.
In a post in Hindi on X along with the video, Gandhi had said, "If an FIR is filed, a case is registered, or a privilege motion is brought -- I will fight for the farmers."
"Any trade deal that takes away the farmers' livelihood or weakens the country's food security is anti-farmer. We will not allow the anti-farmer Modi government to compromise on the interests of the food providers," he had said.
