‘Agriculture, dairy interests protected’: Piyush Goyal says Modi used friendship with Trump to secure good deal

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said that the India-US Trade Deal, signed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will “enhance the future of a strong India”. In a special briefing here, Goyal claimed that every Indian is thanking PM Modi for making a “very good trade deal” with the United States.

“Today, every Indian across the country is thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making a very good trade deal with the United States of America, which the countrymen have been waiting for for many months. Keeping the national interest and public interest at the forefront, a trade deal that will enhance the future of a strong India has been finalised last night under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.

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Goyal stated that the government wanted to speak about the deal in Parliament, but the ruckus allegedly created by the Opposition parties didn’t allow it.

“Normally, we would have wanted to speak about this in Parliament, but we all witnessed that disgraceful scene. The way the opposition, especially the Congress party under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and their allies the DMK, TMC, and Samajwadi Party, behaved so disgracefully in Parliament today. They even reached the Speaker’s chair and insulted him. I strongly condemn the opposition and Rahul Gandhi, because of whom we have come here today to give you this information instead of speaking in Parliament,” he said.

The minister said that Modi used his “friendship” with the US President to secure the best deal in the region. Under the deal, the US has reduced tariffs on India to 18 per cent, which is lower than several neighbouring countries, including Pakistan’s 19 per cent. “PM Modi used his friendship with Donald Trump to get the best deal among all the countries in the region, all countries that we compete with,” Goyal said.

Thanking Prime Minister Modi on behalf of everyone, Goyal claimed that the trade deal with the US will bring immense opportunities for the Indian economy and 140 crore citizens of the country, including the poor, farmers, fishermen, youth, and women living in the villages.”

While Goel didn’t go into the specific details, he asserted that the trade deal will give numerous opportunities to the MEMEs, the manufacturing and textile sectors.

“I believe that through this deal, our MSMEs, our engineering sector, all the players in our engineering sector—whether they manufacture auto components, electrical parts, or work on selling various types of engineering goods in America, or plan to do so in the future—our textile sector, our gems and jewelry sector, our leather goods sector, our marine goods sector, will all get numerous opportunities through this deal…,” he said.

Amid concerns regarding the agriculture and dairy sector agreements, Goyal didn’t share specific details but assured that their interests were safeguarded. “PM Modi has always championed both the agriculture and dairy sectors, safeguarding their interests and working tirelessly to ensure a bright future and ample opportunities for the people in these sectors…The sensitive factors of India’s economy, particularly agriculture and dairy, have been protected.”

‘Rahul Gandhi is a negative person, doesn’t like the deal that benefits all sectors’

With the Opposition parties slamming the Narendra Modi government for “selling the country under US pressure” and “backstabbing farmers by potentially opening markets to subsidised US agricultural imports,” Goyal launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, calling him a negative person.

“Rahul Gandhi is a negative person. He has a negative mentality. And any leader who joins hands with him — be it those from DMK or TMC — doesn’t like a deal which will benefit so many sectors,” Goyal said.

“Rahul Gandhi ko kya mirchi lagti hai? (Why does he feel the burn?) Does Rahul Gandhi have a problem with the country’s growth?” he further remarked.

Announcing the trade deal on Monday, US President Donald Trump had claimed that India will “reduce their tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO.” Trump also stated that PM Modi has “committed to “BUY AMERICAN,” at a much higher level, in addition to over $500 BILLION DOLLARS of U.S. Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products.”