In a bold offensive against the Modi government’s India-US trade deal, Congress has announced a countrywide agitation focusing on farmers’ plight. The decision emerged from a high-level conclave in New Delhi on Friday, attended by Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, state chiefs from six pivotal regions, and legislative leaders.
Jairam Ramesh, the party’s communication czar, briefed reporters on the roadmap. Kicking off February 24 in Bhopal, the farmer conference series will spotlight the deal’s fallout on key crops like cotton, soyabean, and maize. ‘It’s a pressured pact that endangers our agrarian backbone,’ Ramesh asserted.
Subsequent events are slated for Yavatmal on March 7 and Sriganganagar soon after. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu joined the discussions, underscoring regional stakes. Congress plans to amplify the issue through direct village-level engagements, partnering with farmer outfits reminiscent of the anti-farm law stir.
Kharge took to X, branding the deal a ‘trap’ compromising farmers’ rights, and labeled it Modi’s second capitulation after Operation Sindoor’s suspension. Gandhi echoed the criticism, positioning the party as farmers’ guardian. This multi-state rollout signals Congress’s intent to reclaim rural support, critiquing the deal’s opaque terms and potential import surges.
As the campaign gains steam, it promises fierce confrontations over trade policies. Analysts see this as a litmus test for opposition unity and Modi’s economic narrative, with farmers at the epicenter of the brewing storm.