Indo-US trade deal conspiracy to destroy Punjab’s farmers: Harpal Cheema

The minister also alleged that while tariffs on Indian exports to the US remain high, import duties on American products are being reduced, which, he claimed, would hurt the Indian farmers and benefit big corporate interests.

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Thursday termed the interim trade agreement reached between the Centre and the US a conspiracy to destroy the state's farmers and hand over India's agriculture to America. Addressing a press conference here, the senior AAP leader also claimed that the deal would benefit American farmers and harm their Indian counterparts. Cheema warned that if cheap American milk powder, cheese, grains and other farm products enter India, the farmers in Punjab and across the country would suffer badly. ''Punjab's farmers, who have fed the nation for decades, have made major contributions to the national food buffer through wheat and paddy procurement for nearly 50 years. ''It is unfortunate that the same 'annadatas' are now being targeted through an economic and political conspiracy,'' he said. Cheema also accused the BJP of abandoning its nationalist and Swadeshi claims, and alleged that the Centre had surrendered before the US. India and the US February 7 announced to have reached a framework for an interim trade agreement under which both sides will reduce import duties on a number of goods to boost two-way trade. While the US will reduce tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from 50 per cent, India will eliminate or cut down import duties on all US industrial goods and a wide range of American food and agricultural products, including dried distillers' grains, red sorghum for animal feed, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, soybean oil, wine and spirits. Referring to a tweet by US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Cheema said it clearly showed that the deal was aimed at exporting more American farm products to India and strengthening the US economy. He questioned BJP leaders in Punjab for claiming that the state would benefit from the deal, challenging them to respond to Rollins' statement. Cheema also demanded the BJP to make the deal documents public so that farmers and citizens could see how their interests were being affected. The minister also alleged that while tariffs on Indian exports to the US remain high, import duties on American products are being reduced, which, he claimed, would hurt the Indian farmers and benefit big corporate interests. ''The people of Punjab will not tolerate any attack on the dignity and future of farmers... AAP would take the issue to every village and household in the state,'' Cheema said.

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