Victory or PR-wrapped sacrifice of India's interests: Kharge on US deal
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said the Indo-US interim trade agreement sacrifices India's strategic national interests and exposes the betrayal of the Modi government.
Dubbing the deal as "trapped surrender", Kharge, in a post on X, alleged, "Fine print of the Indo-US trade deal has exposed how PM Modi mortgaged India's national interests."
He said the truth of the "trap deal" is now slowly coming out and listed four key objections to the pact.
Citing the issue of Russian oil and strategic autonomy, Kharge said, "We were told that the Indo-US Joint Statement said nothing on Russian oil, even though Mr. Trump publicly tweeted otherwise. Now the White House fact sheet clearly lists 'India's commitment to stop purchasing Russian Federation oil' as a condition for removal of an additional 25 percent tariff."
He then asked, "The Modi Government agreed to this erosion of India's sovereignty. Why?"
Kharge said the Congress had already exposed the executive order placing India under US monitoring for direct or indirect oil imports.
He alleged that India's farmers had been backstabbed, while claiming that for the first time in India's history, a government had completely opened agriculture to foreign goods.
"Now, we know what 'Additional Products' actually meant in the Indo-US joint statement agreed by Modi Government! 'Pulses' have been silently added in the newly released White House fact sheet on February 9, which was not part of the Indo-US Joint Statement issued on Feb 6, 2026.
"The utility of red sorghum imports to India was mentioned in the Joint Statement, but that utility pertaining to 'animal feed' has now mysteriously vanished in the White House fact sheet of February 9, 2026," he said.
Kharge accused the Union government of "betraying our gau-mata and dairy farmers" and said the trade deal calls for importing food and agricultural products, including dried distillers' grains (DDGs) and red sorghum for animal feed, from the United States.
The leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha claimed that it was well known that if Indian cattle consume American feed, which is largely GM (genetically modified), it will alter the breed of our cattle and the taste of our milk.
Kharge said that full-page ads are being published in newspapers, and Amul is being forced to whitewash this concession.
But the truth is that, he said, the Modi government did not approve GM feed since 2017, and now it suddenly did.
"Two crore dairy farmers will suffer the consequences, but RSS-Sangh Parivar-BJP, who carry out lynchings in the name of the cow, are hell-bent on destroying our country's cattle population," he alleged.
Kharge claimed that the trade deal also stands to hurt the apparel sector. He said that the 18 per cent tariff was no "historic win" and the US-Bangladesh deal reveals it as a "strategic surrender."
"By granting Dhaka zero-duty access for using American cotton, Washington has effectively incentivised Bangladesh over Indian farmers to save their own margins," he wrote in his post.
As textile hubs like Tirupur and Surat are shackled by 18 per cent taxes, Bangladesh gains a 0 per cent fast-track, dealing a lethal "double whammy" to Indian cotton and garments alike, the Congress leader said.
"Conclusion: Is this a victory or a PR-wrapped betrayal that sacrifices India's strategic national interests and export engine at the altar of Epstein Files?" Kharge asked.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
