CHANDIGARH – A top Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader in Punjab has unleashed a scathing attack on the proposed India-US trade agreement, branding it a ‘farmer-killer’ that could spell doom for India’s agricultural backbone.
Kuldeep Dhaliwal, AAP spokesperson, slammed the deal as anti-farmer, dangerous, and outright anti-national. He warned that opening Indian markets to heavily subsidized American farm products would crush millions of small farmers already struggling under inadequate government support.
The controversy erupted as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sunil Jakhar celebrated the pact, prompting Dhaliwal to accuse him of either ignorance or deliberate deception. ‘BJP is cheering while our poor farmers face ruin,’ Dhaliwal fumed, highlighting how the deal ignores domestic growers in favor of foreign imports.
Dhaliwal pointed out AAP’s consistent opposition since the deal’s announcement 10 days ago, refuting claims of silence. He criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for dodging parliamentary questions and noted the shocking revelation came via former US President Donald Trump’s social media, not official channels.
Trump’s repeated mentions of ‘agriculture’ in his posts signal direct threats to Indian farming, Dhaliwal argued. American products, bolstered by massive subsidies, would flood markets, creating unfair competition.
Take red sorghum, for instance. The US produces 75% of the world’s supply, while in India, poor farmers in drought-hit Maharashtra regions grow it without reliable minimum support prices (MSP). Cheap US sorghum would make it impossible for them to sell.
The fallout wouldn’t stop there. Punjab and Haryana’s grain farmers, Karnataka and Maharashtra’s maize growers, Uttar Pradesh’s dairy producers – all face obliteration if US corn, grains, and dairy products dominate shelves. Cotton farmers would crumble under subsidized US cotton, Jammu & Kashmir’s nut growers against cheap almonds and walnuts, and Himachal’s apple orchards against bargain-basement American apples.
‘This is economic sabotage,’ Dhaliwal declared. AAP vows to fight this ‘betrayal’ tooth and nail, urging farmers to rise against a deal that prioritizes foreign interests over India’s rural heartland.