In a bold parliamentary maneuver, senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari has sought to derail routine House proceedings by proposing an adjournment motion over the alleged India-US trade deal. Writing to Secretary General Snehlata Shrivastava, Tewari insisted on immediate discussion, labeling it a crisis demanding national attention.
The core of his grievance: a supposed US presidential assertion that PM Modi has greenlit a massive overhaul. This includes ditching Russian oil, boosting imports from America and Venezuela, zeroing out trade barriers, and pledging purchases exceeding $500 billion in US merchandise.
Tewari painted a dire picture in his communication. Russian oil has shielded India from skyrocketing fuel prices, he noted, and sudden cessation could trigger economic mayhem for households and factories. He cautioned that the mega-deal threatens local industries, agriculture, and small businesses, potentially flooding markets with cheap imports.
“The Centre must come clean with a statement and permit unfettered debate,” Tewari demanded, stressing the need for openness in pivotal policy arenas like commerce, energy, and diplomacy.
Under the spotlight, the pact reportedly cuts US duties on Indian exports to 18 percent while India relaxes hurdles for US goods. Critics from the opposition chorus decry it as a raw deal for India, engineered to benefit American exporters at the expense of domestic growth.
This development comes amid heightened tensions in the Lower House. Tewari’s push tests the government’s resolve to defend its trade diplomacy under opposition fire. As whispers of more disruptions grow, the trade agreement’s fate hangs in the balance, with implications rippling across India’s economic landscape.