Punjab first to pass resolution against India-US trade deal

The Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution against the India-US trade deal, saying it was a betrayal with Punjab farmers and was “worse than the three farm laws”. Punjab becomes the first state to have passed a resolution against the deal.The House also unanimously accused the BJP-led Central Government of having “sold the interests of the country to the US and doing away with the country’s sovereignty” under duress after names of some important leaders came up in the “files” in the US.Leader of the Opposition Partap Bajwa directly named the Epstein files, saying ever since these had gone public and names started appearing, there was pressure on the Prime Minister to sign the deal.Related news: Exclude agriculture sector from India-US deal, seek Punjab farmersChief Minister Bhagwant Mann wondered what was making the PM give in to US President Donald Trump’s “decisions”, including stopping the war with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.While Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan alleged that the trade deal was signed to cover up the “files”, saying it was not a deal but “dhakkeshahi by the US”, former Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said “Hardeep Puri’s name is in the files… so the BJP wants to enslave all Indians to the US”.Mann, who arrived in the House around 4 pm to participate in the discussion on the resolution, called the trade deal a threat to the country’s agricultural sovereignty. He said the agreement could place India’s farming sector at the mercy of foreign powers.Addressing the House, CM Mann said, “The India-US agreement is even more dangerous than the three controversial farm laws brought by the Modi government and can severely harm India’s agriculture. Earlier the East India Company captured and plundered India, and now the ‘West India Company’ has started infiltrating the country. This agreement can destroy Indian agriculture. The agriculture sector must be kept completely outside it,” he said.He said, “When American soybean, maize, cotton and other agricultural products are sold cheaply in India, how will our farmers compete?” Mann also questioned the US “permission” to India to buy oil from Russia for 30 days, asking whether the country was now being run by the White House.Earlier, the resolution was mooted by Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian. Congress MLA Pargat Singh, who had also sought a discussion on the issue and its impact on Punjab farmers, said the deal would strike at the foundation of the Punjab agrarian economy. “Farmers in the US get huge subsidies as compared to Indian farmers. Their landholdings are huge as compared to small landholdings of farmers here. The lowering of duty in cotton means American cotton will flood Indian markets. Our farmers, farm labourers, traders and the local industry will suffer,” he said.No BJP MLA was present in the House during the discussion. Renowned Agriculture expert Devinder Sharma was present in the Governor’s gallery during the debate, which lasted over two hours.AAP MLA from Sardulgarh, Gurpreet Singh Banawali, spoke about how this would hit the “sovereignty” of our indigenous seeds as imported seeds, which will have strict patents, would flood the market. Congress MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh, AAP MLAs Amansher Singh Sherry Kalsi, Mohammad Jamil Ur Rahman, Narinder Pal Sawna and Jagdeep Singh Goldy Kamboj, also participated in the discussion which also included its impact on maize, soybean, animal feed and dairying, following which the resolution condemning the deal was passed unanimously.Panel summons Sukhpal Khaira over women remarksThe Punjab State Women’s Commission on Tuesday took suo motu notice of a video, in which Congress legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira is purportedly heard making objectionable remarks against women. Khaira and Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring have been directed to appear before the commission on March 12.

Punjab first to pass resolution against India-US trade deal

Ruchika Khanna

Tribune News Service

Punjab first to pass resolution against India-US trade deal

Ruchika Khanna

Tribune News Service

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