Congress, AAP slam Centre over India-US trade deal: 'Direct attack on Indian farmers'

Calling the remarks “deeply alarming for India”, the Congress alleged that they revealed how the Modi government had entered into the trade deal “by ignoring the interests of Indian farmers”.

• Opposition accuses Modi govt of favoring US farmers in India-US trade deal
• Congress and AAP claim deal harms Indian farmers, demand explanation from PM
• India diversifies trade partners, reducing reliance on single markets, says govt

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The Opposition, on Tuesday, launched a sharp attack on the Narendra Modi government over the India-US trade deal, accusing it of prioritising American farmers while undermining the interests of India’s agricultural sector.

The Congress, in a post on X, quoted US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins as saying that American farm products would now be sold in the Indian market, a move that would “bring money into rural America”. The party said Rollins had also described India as an “extremely important” market for US farmers, and claimed that former US President Donald Trump had ensured benefits for American agriculture through the agreement.

US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has said:

👉 American farmers’ products will now be sold in the Indian market. This will bring money into rural America. 👉 India’s market is extremely important for US farmers. Through this deal, Trump has ensured benefits for… — Congress (@INCIndia) February 3, 2026

Calling the remarks “deeply alarming for India”, the Congress alleged that they revealed how the Modi government had entered into the trade deal “by ignoring the interests of Indian farmers”. The party warned that the agreement would harm domestic farmers by forcing them to compete with American producers within India.

“This is nothing less than a direct attack on Indian farmers,” the Congress said, demanding to know why the Prime Minister had “traded away the interests of India’s farmers”.

AAP echoed the criticism, raising questions over whether the trade deal had been structured to advance US interests. Referring to the US agriculture secretary’s comments, the party asked whether it was true that American farmers’ interests had been placed first in the agreement.

प्रधानमंत्री @narendramodi जी, अमेरिका की कृषि मंत्री कह रही हैं कि अमेरिका-भारत ट्रेड डील में अमेरिकी किसानों के हितों को आगे रखा गया है। क्या इसमें सच्चाई है? अगर है तो इसका मतलब यह हुआ कि आपने भारतीय किसानों का जरा सा भी ध्यान नहीं रखा और Trump के आगे नतमस्तक हो गये? इससे… pic.twitter.com/PMBVrngATs — AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 3, 2026

“If that is the case, it means the government paid no attention whatsoever to Indian farmers and surrendered before Trump,” AAP said.

The party also accused the government of a pattern of decisions that it claimed had hurt Indian agriculture, including reductions in taxes on agricultural imports such as American cotton. “The entire country is asking today: is the Prime Minister working for Indian interests or someone else’s?” AAP said.

Early in the day, Rollins had taken to micrologging site X, thanking Trump and writing that the trade deal will likely boost exports of American farm products to India’s market, which will fuel prices and pump cash into rural America.

Soon after, the Opposition launched an attack on the Centre, criticising its move.

The political fallout spilled over into Parliament on Tuesday, leading to disruptions in the Lok Sabha. Opposition MPs raised objections soon after the House met, protesting the tariff announcement made by US President Donald Trump following his phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Opposition also sought to flag other unresolved issues linked to the agreement, triggering heated scenes and forcing repeated interventions by the Chair as proceedings were briefly disrupted.

However, government sources have been cited in a CNN-News18 report, stating that New Delhi now has "many options" on trade and exports, pushing back against the Opposition criticism. New Delhi, as per these sources, has, in recent years, adopted a “two-pronged strategy” on trade, pursuing access to new markets while simultaneously expanding the range of products it exports.

According to the sources, a series of free trade agreements with multiple countries has helped diversify India’s trading partners and reduce dependence on any single market, giving the country greater flexibility in its external commerce.