Chandigarh, Feb 28 (UNI) Addressing a massive public gathering in Barnala, Punjab, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the Prime Minister has compromised national interests under pressure from US President Donald Trump. Gandhi claimed that the Prime Minister abruptly agreed to a trade deal that had been stalled for four months, opening the Indian agricultural sector to American imports such as soybeans, pulses, walnuts, and almonds.
According to the Congress leader, this decision will “ruin” farmers across several states, including Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, as he asserted that President Trump has effectively “held the PM by the throat” to force this concession.
Beyond agriculture, Gandhi raised serious concerns regarding national security and data sovereignty, alleging that the Prime Minister has handed over India’s vast data repositories to US corporations. He compared the 21st-century importance of data to the 20th-century importance of oil, stating that the deal allows American companies to store Indian data wherever they choose while granting them 20-year tax exemptions.
Gandhi questioned the suddenness of the Prime Minister’s decision-making, asking how a deal rejected by bureaucrats for months was signed in “15 minutes” after a single phone call from the US President.
The Congress leader also linked the Prime Minister’s alleged “surrender” to the “Epstein Files” and other international legal pressures. He claimed that millions of files in the US, reportedly mentioning prominent Indian names, are being used as leverage to threaten the Prime Minister into signing what Gandhi described as a “death warrant” for the country.
Furthermore, he accused the BJP of funneling the nation’s financial systems into the hands of select corporate giants like Adani and Ambani, asserting that this wealth is being utilised for political purposes rather than the public good.
Invoking the legacy of the Green Revolution, Gandhi emphasised that farmers and labourers are the foundation of India’s food security. He also touched upon military concerns, citing claims from former Army Chief General Naravane’s book regarding an alleged lack of clear direction from the Prime Minister’s Office during Chinese border incursions.
Gandhi concluded by urging the people of Punjab to recognise the “impending storm,” warning that the combination of agricultural concessions, data surrender, and a commitment to purchase Rs 9 lakh crore worth of US products annually would devastate India’s MSME sector and industrial independence.
