Amritsar, February 10 Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said that the India-US trade agreement has opened doors for the country's progress towards becoming a developed nation while providing a "protective shield" to the country's farmers.
He said the agreement would act as a "runway" to take the country to new heights of development.
Addressing the media here, Jakhar asserted that the BJP understands its responsibility and accountability towards people, especially farmers, and therefore, it is informing the public about various aspects of the trade agreement.
Urging opposition parties to refrain from "misleading propaganda" regarding the agreement, he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi deserves congratulations for successfully securing the deal in the national interest amid challenging international circumstances.
The BJP state president said that while US President Donald Trump is working on the principle of “Make America Great Again” (MAGA), Prime Minister Modi has pursued the policy of “Make India Great” (MIG), ensuring that the agreement fully safeguards India's agriculture sector, while enabling the country to sell its industrial products to the US and purchase advanced technologies as needed.
He added that the prime minister has effectively turned difficult global conditions into an opportunity for the country.
Following the agreement, Indian goods will face the lowest tariffs in the US compared to competing nations, allowing India to expand its access to American markets. This will significantly boost India's industry and trade, he said.
Jakhar said that while the agreement opens new avenues of growth for industries and commerce and creates fresh employment opportunities in the country, the government has also drawn a protective “Lakshman Rekha” around farmers’ interests.
He emphasised that before being a leader, he is a farmer, and as a farmer, he can confidently say this agreement will not negatively impact any farmer in Punjab. Crops grown by Punjab farmers have been kept outside the purview of the agreement, he said.
He further stated that while the agreement protects farmers, it will also create new job opportunities for the next generation of farming families who are moving into other professions. Under this agreement, agricultural goods worth USD 1 billion from India will also be exported to the US at zero per cent tariff, he said.
Jakhar added that the US textile market is worth USD 345 billion, of which India’s share is only five per cent, while China’s share has ranged between 25 and 35 per cent. With India now gaining access to this market at lower tariffs compared to China, Indian textile industries will directly benefit, and Punjab’s textile sector will also gain, he said.
This, in turn, will positively impact Punjab’s economy. Operational factories will generate employment, increase revenue, and pave the way for new development, he further said.
