Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the Budget session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (PTI via Sansad TV)
The India-U.S. trade deal will hurt the interests of Indian farmers and the government wants to destroy the country’s agriculture sector, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge alleged on Wednesday (February 4, 2026).
Participating in the discussion on Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in the Upper House, the Congress party president also said it is an insult to the Indian Parliament that parliamentarians got to know about the deal when it was in session from U.S. President Donald Trump and not the government.
Parliament Budget Session Day 6: Follow the updates from February 4, 2026
Quoting U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, he said, “The new U.S.-India deal will export farm products to India’s massive markets, lifting prices and pumping cash into rural America.”
“Meaning American farmers will benefit,” Mr. Kharge said, adding, “Tell us, are you (government) working for the welfare of farmers or are you against the farmers?”
Asserting that the deal will hurt the interests of Indian farmers, he alleged that the government wants to “destroy” Indian agriculture sector.
American imports will come at zero tariff and what India exports there will be at 18%, he lamented.
Raising the manner of the announcement of the India-U.S. trade deal, Mr. Kharge said that when Parliament was in session, the parliamentarians got to know about it from U.S. President Donald Trump and not from the Indian government.
“The fact that parliamentarians came to know about the India-U.S. trade deal from President Trump and not the government is an insult to Parliament,” he said, adding Mr. Trump is telling what India should do and how to run it from the U.S..
Indian farmers will be destroyed by this deal, he added.
On Monday, Mr. Trump, in a social media post, announced that India and the U.S. agreed to a trade deal under which Washington would bring down the reciprocal tariff on Indian goods to 18% from the current 25%, after a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Published – February 04, 2026 05:44 pm IST
