India-US trade deal: Opposition protests, demands discussion in Parliament

INDIA bloc MPs protested in Parliament against the India-US trade deal, demanding a discussion. Congress's Manish Tewari raised concerns over concessions on US farm goods and commitments on India's Russian oil purchases.

Opposition MPs staged a protest against the framework of the India-United States Interim Trade Agreement on Tuesday at the Makar Dwar of the Parliament. The INDIA bloc MPs carried a poster with the pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, and wrote, "Narender surrendered? The nation is watching." Opposition MPs have been demanding a discussion on the trade deal framework during the Budget Session of Parliament.

Opposition Demands Discussion, Raises Concerns

Earlier today, Congress MP Manish Tewari moved an Adjournment Motion notice in Lok Sabha, seeking discussion on the framework of the trade agreement. The Congress leader raised concerns over India's purchase of Russian oil and concession on tariffs on US agricultural goods. "Alleging that commitments relating to Russian oil purchases and agriculture-related concessions may have been made. Such steps raise questions on India's energy security, farmer interests, and strategic autonomy. I therefore urge the Government to make an immediate statement and allow a full discussion in the Parliament," the notice stated.

Contentious Points in the Agreement

This comes after the joint statement by the two nations said that India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of US food and agricultural products, including dried distillers' grains (DDGs), red sorghum for animal feed, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products.

The purchase of oil from Russia came under question as the White House, in a separate statement, said, "India has committed to stop directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil, has represented that it will purchase United States energy products from the United States, and has recently committed to a framework with the United States to expand defense cooperation over the next 10 years."

Government Clarifies Stance on Russian Oil

However, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Monday clarified that "national interest" would continue to guide India's energy-related decisions, underlining that the key drivers of the country's energy policy are "adequate availability, fair pricing and reliability of supply", amid reports suggesting New Delhi is cutting its oil imports from Russia. Speaking during a Special Briefing by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) here, Misri stated that decisions in the energy sector, whether by the government or businesses, would be guided by national interests, while clarifying the issue of actual sourcing. (ANI)

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