- Alleges PM acted under pressure
By Special Correspondent
Bhopal: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday in Bhopal mounted a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the proposed India–US trade agreement was concluded under external pressure linked to the Jeffrey Epstein case and legal proceedings involving industrialist Gautam Adani in the United States.
Addressing farmers at a ‘Kisan Chaupal’ organised by the Congress in protest against the trade deal, Gandhi claimed that the Prime Minister had compromised the interests of Indian farmers and shared sensitive national data with America. He alleged that undisclosed files related to Epstein, including emails and other material, were being selectively revealed to exert pressure on influential individuals globally.
Gandhi further contended that ongoing legal cases in the US concerning Adani were being used as leverage, with the “real target” being the Prime Minister. Under such alleged pressure, he claimed, the government agreed to provisions allowing large American corporations to export agricultural commodities such as soyabean, cotton and maize to India, potentially harming domestic producers.
Referring to border tensions with China, Gandhi cited observations made by former Army Chief M. M. Naravane in his book, alleging that the government had earlier left the Army “isolated” during the crisis. He also claimed that shortly after raising these issues in Parliament, the Prime Minister telephoned former US President Donald Trump and agreed to finalise the trade pact without wider consultation.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge echoed the criticism, accusing the government of yielding to American pressure.
The rally saw brief tension between party workers and police over entry arrangements, while traffic diversions were imposed across parts of Bhopal. The Bharatiya Janata Party had not responded to the allegations at the time of filing this report.
