In a blistering attack, Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab wing has condemned the India-US trade deal as a ticking time bomb for the nation’s agriculture sector. Spokesperson Kuldeep Dhaliwal described it as profoundly anti-farmer, predicting widespread economic ruin for millions.
The core grievance? This agreement flings open India’s doors to US agricultural imports bolstered by massive subsidies, creating an unfair playing field. Indian farmers, starved of comparable aid, stand no chance against the influx. Dhaliwal lambasted BJP’s Sunil Jakhar for prematurely toasting the deal, either out of ignorance or malice toward vulnerable cultivators.
AAP has been protesting relentlessly for the past 10 days, refuting Jakhar’s narrative of their reticence. The revelation of the deal via Trump’s tweets—replete with agriculture references—underscored the opacity from India’s own leadership, with PM Modi dodging parliamentary scrutiny.
Specific horrors loom large: 75% of global sorghum hails from the US, poised to undercut Maharashtra’s impoverished growers. Corn from America could decimate Punjab and Haryana; dairy floods Uttar Pradesh; cotton swamps local producers; cheap nuts and apples threaten J&K and Himachal. Dhaliwal warned of a domino effect obliterating indigenous crops and livelihoods across states.
As the pact inches toward reality, AAP calls for its outright rejection, framing it as a direct assault on food security and farmer dignity. The battle lines are drawn, with rural India at stake in this high-stakes trade gamble.