Congress sold India, farmers: FM

Replying to the debate on the Union Budget 2026–27 in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched a sharp counterattack on Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of “not reading the Budget properly” and alleging that the Congress had “sold out farmers” through its 2013 agreement at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Defending the government’s allocations across sectors including artificial intelligence, food security, energy transition and MSMEs, Sitharaman accused previous Congress-led governments of neglecting key national interests. Hitting back at Gandhi’s remark that the “government sold India,” she asserted that it was the Congress that had compromised the country’s interests.

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She also took a swipe at Gandhi’s references to martial arts during his speech, while Union Minister Giriraj Singh repeatedly referred to him as an “abodh balak” from behind her. “LoP Rahul Gandhi spoke on several issues. He used the language of Jujutsu and martial arts — grip and control. He also told Jagdambika Pal, who was in the Chair, that he respects him because he was once in his party. But he called Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu a traitor, who was also once in his party. I would like to respond to all his points,” she said.

Dismissing Gandhi’s concerns about artificial intelligence and his claims that India’s data was being sent abroad, Sitharaman termed the allegations incorrect. Expanding her attack on the Congress, she accused its governments of compromising national interests and betraying farmers.

“The Leader of the Opposition is lecturing us. He has no moral right because his party’s government traded national interests in Bali. In 2009, at Sharm El Sheikh, Manmohan Singh hyphenated India and Pakistan and delinked talks from terror. You are the ones who sold India. And you are lecturing us,” she said.

The Finance Minister claimed that the 2013 WTO agreement signed in Bali was detrimental to Indian farmers and weakened the country’s bargaining position.

“The Opposition says India is selling farmers and that Modi ji has surrendered. Prime Minister Modi has stood on the frontlines to fight for farmers’ needs,” she said.

“I will tell you who really sold the farmers… You sold out farmers in Bali, traded Indian interests in Bali. In 2013, at the WTO Summit in Bali, the Congress signed an agreement compromising the interests of farmers and the poor. This meant that India could not procure foodgrains from farmers at the MSP from January 2017 onwards and could not distribute subsidised rations to the poor. It was Prime Minister Modi who negotiated a peace clause after coming to power in 2014 and ensured procurement at MSP continued,” Sitharaman said amid Opposition protests.

She added that the peace clause enabled the government to distribute free rations to 80 crore people during the Covid-19 pandemic.