Arvind Kejriwal (File photo)
NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of “betraying farmers” after the government removed an 11% import duty on American cotton. Linking the decision to mounting trade tensions with the United States, Kejriwal also called US President Donald Trump “a coward” for imposing steep tariffs on Indian goods.Earlier today, the centre extended duty-free import of cotton by three more months till December 31 to support textile exporters facing steep 50% tariffs in the US.“PM Modi has taken some decisions behind our backs which are a huge betrayal of the farmers of the entire country,” Kejriwal said at a press conference in Delhi. “Recently, under the pressure of Trump and America, it has been decided that the cotton that comes to India from America, till now, there was an 11 per cent duty on it. In the last few days, the Modi government has decided that the 11 per cent duty has been removed. Now, no duty will be imposed on the cotton coming from America from 19 August to 30 September, for 40 days.”
The AAP chief warned that American cotton would now be around Rs 15–20 cheaper per kilo than Indian produce, leaving domestic farmers at a disadvantage. “In the past few days, PM Modi has taken some decisions that are very harmful for the farmers of our country and ninety percent of farmers are not even aware. Once these decisions are implemented, they will be left with no option but to commit suicide,” he claimed.Kejriwal also directly targeted Trump, calling him weak in the face of countries that resisted Washington’s pressure. “Trump is a coward. Trump has bowed before countries which have stood firmly against him. I don’t know what compulsions PM Modi has that he is not saying anything,” he said.The remarks come after Washington announced a 50% tariff on Indian goods, citing India’s continued purchases of discounted Russian oil. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has described the Ukraine war as “Modi’s war” and argued that India’s oil imports are helping Moscow fund its offensive. New Delhi has dismissed the additional tariffs as “unjustified and unreasonable”, insisting it will take necessary measures to safeguard national interests.Kejriwal demanded that India respond with even tougher trade measures. “If Trump has imposed 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, we should have imposed 100 per cent tariff on American goods. Are we a weak nation? This is a country of 140 crore people. We have a huge market. No country can afford to offend India,” he said, adding that the whole country would support higher tariffs on US imports.
