US agriculture secretary’s tweet triggers political storm in India, opposition says PM Modi betrayed farmers

India–US trade deal: Has India opened its market to American agricultural products? The US agriculture secretary’s statement has intensified the buzz. Know what Congress said…

India-US trade deal: US President Donald Trump has announced a trade deal with India, along with a reduction in the hefty tariffs imposed on India. The US has reduced the tariff to 18 per cent. The BJP has termed this trade deal as a victory for the Modi government. NCP leader Praful Patel felicitated Prime Minister Modi at an NDA meeting.

Immediate discussion in Parliament: KC Venugopal

Politics has also begun over this deal. Congress General Secretary and MP KC Venugopal tweeted about the India-US deal. Venugopal wrote that the Modi government has neither made an official statement nor taken Parliament into confidence. The country has every right to know all the details of the proposed India-US trade deal. The Modi government should present all facts related to all trade agreements in Parliament. He said that, considering the seriousness of the matter, an immediate discussion should be held through an adjournment motion. He added that India's economic, strategic, and agricultural sectors will be affected by this deal.

This is a blow to India's strategic policy: Manish Tewari

Reacting to the India–America trade agreement, Congress MP Manish Tewari said that the manner in which the announcement was made amounted to a direct blow to India’s strategic independence. He said that Donald Trump had announced on social media that India would not buy oil from Russia, that Indian exports to the US would face an 18 per cent tax, and that American exports to India would attract zero tariff. Tewari reiterated that this, he said, was a direct blow to India’s strategic independence.

Karti Chidambaram: Will Trump decide whom India trades with and whom it does not?

On the India-America trade agreement, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said that if the President of America can decide whom India will trade with, then it seems we do not have any independent hold on our international affairs. America is deciding that India will stop buying oil from Russia. Just some time ago, the Russian President came here for a state dinner. This has never happened before. We are a sovereign country and we should decide what is best for our interests. We need America, and America needs us, but this relationship should be based on mutual trust and respect.

Modi government has betrayed the farmers: Akhilesh

Opening India's market to American agricultural products and food grains is a betrayal of the 70% of our country's population that depends on farming for their livelihood. The BJP and their associates were agents of foreigners even before independence, and they are still so today. The BJP and their associates, who talk about self-reliance and indigenous products, should go to the public and tell how much commission they have taken for betraying the country's economy.

Akhilesh Yadav said that not only farmers but also the lower and middle classes would be severely affected, as the move would create a new class of profiteers and middlemen in food grains and agricultural products, making all food and drink items even more expensive. He alleged that the BJP would also collect donations from these companies, further driving up prices of food and agricultural products. Yadav said this would gradually reduce farming and farmers’ incomes, forcing them to sell their land to the rich and corporates. He claimed that capturing land was the ultimate goal of the BJP and its associates.

US Minister's statement causes stir in agricultural sector

The US Secretary of Agriculture has highly praised President Trump on the trade deal with India. US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said that the India-US trade agreement will allow Washington to export more agricultural products to India, which will boost rural America.

She wrote on X, thanking US President Donald Trump for working for American farmers once again. Under the new India-US trade deal, more American agricultural products will now be exported to India's large market. This will benefit American farmers and bring money into rural America. She said that India's growing population is an important market for American products. According to USDA data, US agricultural exports to India reached approximately $1.7 billion in 2025 due to tree nuts, cotton, and soybean oil.