Rahul Gandhi: India-US Trade Pact Will Hurt Jobs And Farmers

KOLKATA-Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on April 14 criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi over India and the United States agreeing on a trade deal, alleging it would hurt workers, farmers and small businesses.

Addressing his third election rally in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, Gandhi said the proposed agreement would lead to the closure of small and medium industries and result in job losses across the country.

He pointed out that the deal would adversely affect India’s economy and claimed that small and medium-scale factories would struggle if American goods entered the Indian market in large numbers.

“If American goods enter India like a tsunami, then our country’s small and medium-scale factories will close down. This will cause double loss for Bengal since Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already closed down industries in the state,” Gandhi said.

He also charged that the Centre had opened India’s agriculture sector to the United States, allowing American farm produce to enter the domestic market.

He stated that the Union government had committed to purchasing goods worth Rs 9.5 lakh crore from the United States.

The remarks were made as part of the ongoing election campaign in West Bengal. (IANS)