Rahul Gandhi vs Govt: Stormy Clash In Parliament On Trade Pact
A fiery face-off unfolded in the Lok Sabha during the Budget discussion as Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on the Centre over the India-US trade deal. Calling the agreement "nonsensical" and tilted heavily in favour of the United States, Gandhi alleged that the government had compromised India's economic sovereignty, energy security, farmers' interests, and data control.
He claimed tariffs had risen for India while falling for the US, alleged a surge in American imports without reciprocal commitments, questioned the absence of data localisation safeguards, and raised concerns about limits on digital taxation. Gandhi further accused the government of exposing Indian farmers to competition from large mechanised US farms and warned of energy "weaponisation" if India's oil purchase decisions were influenced externally.
The government hit back strongly, with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju demanding authentication of the allegations and announcing plans to move a privilege motion against Gandhi for what it termed "misleading" statements.
