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Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Monday trained guns at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP over the framework of the trade deal with the United States, alleging that the Centre has "sold out the country."
In a video message in response to the BJP calling the Indian Youth Congress' protest at the AI Impact Summit "shameful," Rahul Gandhi termed the framework of the trade deal "shameful." He said, "Modi ji, do you talk about shame? Let me tell you what shame is. Your name, your minister's, and your friend's name appearing together in the Epstein files, being linked to such a vile criminal--this is shameful. The trade deal you've made with America, in which you've sold out the country--this is shameful. You've handed over our country's data. You've wiped out the farmers. You've ruined the textile industry--this is shameful." Backing the party leaders for protesting against the Centre, he said that the party will not "retreat even an inch." "The entire country knows that the ongoing case against Adani in America has kept you up at night--because it's a case against the BJP and your financial architecture. For 14 months, no action has been taken on it--this is shameful. Modi ji, you do whatever you deem appropriate for your friends Anil Ambani, Adani, and yourself. The lion-hearted warriors of the Congress Party and I will continue to defend the country--we won't retreat even an inch," the Congress MP added. Congress has been critical of the India-US trade deal framework after India agreed to 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. Although the Washington announced 18 per cent tariffs on Indian goods as per the trade deal framework, US Supreme Court ruled against the tariffs levied by the Trump administration. However, following the court ruling, the US President went a step ahead to announce a global tariff level of 15 per cent, effective immediately. The members of the Indian Youth Congress staged a protest at the Bharat Mandapam venue of the Al Impact India Summit in the national capital by removing their shirts with slogans that read, "Compromised PM". The party workers removed their shirts as a mark of dissent against the India-US trade deal, after which seven Youth Congress leaders were arrested in connection with the case. (ANI)
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