India now a market: Cong MP on US trade deal, abandoning Russian oil

Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla on Tuesday criticised the government's trade deal with the US, stating that India has "become nothing but a market," after a trade deal with the United States led to reports that India could abandon Russian oil procurement. Aujla's comments follow reports that India may abandon Russian oil procurement under the deal, prompting chaotic scenes in the Lok Sabha and the suspension of eight opposition MPs, including him.Aujla Accuses Govt of Turning India into a MarketSpeaking with ANI, Aujla also referenced India's relationships with other countries, mentioning Venezuela and Russia, and accused the government of treating the country as a market. "It's necessary to buy goods from them, and we will also buy oil from Venezuela, abandoning Russia, which was our country's old friend...This was the same Parliament where PM Modi said he would not discuss tariffs because farmers' livelihoods would be at risk, and everyone applauded. Where has that concern for livelihoods gone today?... Now this country has become nothing but a market," he told ANI.Parliamentary Chaos and Opposition's RoleAujla also slammed the government's stance on Rahul Gandhi's statement in Parliament, saying the opposition's role is to raise national issues and the government should respond. Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi sparked chaos in Parliament with his speech, highlighting concerns over China's presence in India, the US trade deal, and national policy. The speech led to a heated exchange: opposition MPs demanded discussions on key issues, while government MPs raised procedural objections, resulting in the suspension of eight opposition MPs, including Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla. "It is the opposition's duty to present the issues facing the entire country; that's what Parliament is for, and the government should come and respond to them. But since yesterday, they've been saying that you can't cite any books... China has now entered the country, Chinese goods are flooding the market, and now they have done the same with America...m" said Aujla.Controversy Surrounding Trade AgreementThe controversy surrounds the India-US trade agreement, which aims to reduce tariffs on Indian exports from 25% to 18%. However, Congress leaders have expressed concerns over the deal's impact on India's agriculture sector and energy imports, particularly the potential halt on Russian oil purchases. Amid uproar, some members were seen throwing papers. The House was adjourned till 3 pm.Eight Opposition MPs SuspendedWhen the House resumed its proceedings, BJP member Dilip Saikia, who was in the Chair, named eight opposition members. The opposition MPs who have been suspended for the remainder of the session are Congress members Hibi Eden, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Manickam Tagore, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Prashant Yadaorao Padole, Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, and Dean Kuriakose, and CPI-M member S Venkatesan.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

India now a market: Cong MP on US trade deal, abandoning Russian oil

Synopsis

Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla criticised the US-India trade deal, claiming it turns India into a 'market' and may force the country to abandon Russian oil. The issue sparked chaos in Parliament, resulting in the suspension of eight opposition MPs.

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