Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday likened Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to allow American agricultural products into Indian markets to “a JCB digging into the foundations of a building”, warning that it would ultimately destabilise the country’s economic structure.
Addressing a farmers’ convention in Peravoor, Gandhi alleged that the Prime Minister had “sacrificed” Indian farmers to protect himself and industrialist Gautam Adani, who is facing a criminal case in the United States. He asserted that the Congress would not allow farmers to be compromised under any circumstances.
Gandhi claimed that the proposed Indo–US trade deal had remained stalled for four months, with resistance within sections of the government to permitting American agricultural products into Indian markets. However, he alleged that the agreement was suddenly finalised after US President Donald Trump threatened the Prime Minister over the so-called Epstein files and the case against Adani.
He further claimed that 30 lakh additional Epstein-related files were yet to be released and alleged that they contained references to the Prime Minister. Gandhi also alleged that the names of Hardeep Puri and Anil Ambani had been disclosed in connection with the files as part of an attempt to pressure Modi, who, he said, ultimately yielded.
According to Gandhi, the case against Adani in the US was “aimed at the financial architecture” of the Prime Minister and the BJP. “In order to protect himself and the financial foundation of the BJP, the Prime Minister sacrificed the farmers of the country and allowed American agricultural products such as soybean, corn and fruits to be sold in Indian markets,” he said.
He maintained that agriculture forms the foundation of the Indian economy and warned that permitting large-scale American imports would weaken that base. Reiterating his analogy, he said the move was akin to using a JCB to dig into a building’s foundations, eventually causing it to collapse.
Turning to the forthcoming Assembly elections in Kerala, Gandhi expressed confidence that the United Democratic Front (UDF) would form the next government in the state. He said a UDF government would function as a “service provider” to farmers, ensuring that the administration reached out to them rather than the other way round.
He also stated that a future UDF government would address the issue of human–animal conflict with sensitivity and a technology-driven approach, bringing together leading experts to devise effective solutions.
Gandhi invited public suggestions for the party’s Kerala manifesto, urging people to share their inputs with the Manifesto Committee so that their concerns could be reflected in the final document.
Earlier in the day, he held detailed discussions with farmers, who raised a range of issues related to agriculture. Among those present were Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, Deepa Dasmunsi, Sunny Joseph and other party leaders.