BHOPAL: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge will hold a Kisan Mahapanchayat in the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh’s capital Bhopal on Tuesday afternoon to protest the India-US trade deal.
The mega gathering of farmers from across the central Indian state will be addressed by two senior national Congress leaders at the Atal Path in Bhopal in the afternoon.
Ahead of the Kisan Mahapanchayat, the Congress MLAs led by the Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar protested in the state Vidhan Sabha premises on Monday, against the India-US trade deal.
Holding placards and wearing masks of PM Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, Singhar led the Congress MLAs to protest on the issue.
While alleging that the recent trade deal was a major threat to Indian farmers, the LoP Umang Singhar said, “If cheap foreign soybeans, corn, and cotton enter the Indian market, it will have a direct and serious impact on our hardworking farmers, agricultural markets, and the rural economy. The BJP government's policies have consistently been anti-farmer. The Congress will continue to fight from the streets to the Legislature to protect the interests of farmers, and any injustice to their food providers will not be tolerated.”
Later in the day, All India Congress Committee (AICC) spokesperson Abhay Dubey said in Bhopal that the truth about the crop insurance scheme promoted by the Prime Minister is that private insurance companies made profits of approximately Rs 60,000 crore, while farmers continue to live in poverty. In 2016, the Prime Minister promised to double farmers' income, but the reality is that farmers' income has shrunk to Rs 27 per day.”
He said that the government refused to provide 50% profit on agricultural costs, citing "market distortion." However, the government has always been at the forefront of protecting the interests of big businessmen.
He also recalled that in 2019, a nationwide movement led by the Congress against the RCEP agreement was launched, and India was forced to withdraw from it in the interest of farmers. “Today, the same government is negotiating a trade deal with the United States that will lead to the destruction of Indian agriculture.”
“India's trade deficit with the US is extremely unbalanced. Despite this, the PM publicly requested the finalization of the trade deal and remained silent on sensitive issues such as not purchasing oil from Russia.”
Citing examples of soybean oil, corn, ethanol, cotton, and oilseeds, Dubey explained that zero percent tariffs and duty-free imports would severely impact Indian farmers and the domestic industry. Duty-free imports from countries where production is nonexistent point to a serious conspiracy.
State President of the Kisan Congress, Dharmendra Singh Chauhan, said that Madhya Pradesh produces the highest amount of soybeans in the country. Maize and cotton are also produced here on a large scale, but today, maize and cotton farmers are on the verge of complete ruin.
“Approximately 68 percent of India's population depends on farmers, but due to a lack of resources, will Indian farmers be able to compete with farmers in developed countries like the US? The PM has crossed the line and given an open invitation to foreign companies on Indian soil, which will completely devastate Indian farmers.”
National Congress’s in-charge for MP state, Harish Chaudhary, held discussions with local traders of Shyamala Hills and Lakherapura Chowk Bazar in Bhopal in the evening over the India-US trade deal.