Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday mounted a sharp attack on the Narendra Modi government over the India–United States trade agreement, questioning the terms of engagement with Washington and outlining how the Opposition’s INDIA alliance would have handled negotiations differently.
Framing the deal as a matter of national dignity and economic sovereignty, Gandhi said his alliance would have insisted on parity in talks with US President Donald Trump, particularly on issues such as data protection, energy security and agriculture.
‘Indian Data is the biggest asset’
Speaking about how the INDIA alliance would have approached negotiations, Gandhi said Indian data would have been central to the conversation.
“If the INDIA alliance would’ve been negotiating, we would’ve said, President Trump, the most important thing in the equation is Indian data,” he said. “You want to protect the dollar, for that, the biggest asset lies with the Indian people.”
He added that access to Indian data would have required a relationship based on equality. “If you want access to this data, talk to us as an equal. You are not going to talk to us as if we are servants,” Gandhi said.
‘We will protect farmers and energy security’
Gandhi also stressed that his alliance would prioritise India’s core interests, including energy security and the protection of farmers.
“Our energy security is ours. No matter what happens, we will protect it,” he said.
Referring to agricultural concerns, Gandhi noted that while the US has its own farming constituency, India must safeguard its farmers. “You have an agricultural voter base, but we will also protect our farmers,” he said.
He further asserted that India should not be treated on par with Pakistan in negotiations, adding, “We’ll not be made equal to Pakistan.”
