Rahul Gandhi spreading lies over India's trade deals with US, EU; farmers fully protected: Shah
Gandhinagar (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of spreading "lies" and misleading farmers over India's trade pacts with the US, UK and the EU, asserting the government has fully safeguarded the country's agriculture and dairy sectors.
He termed as "laughable" the Congress's allegations that trade agreements would harm Indian farmers.
"I feel like laughing when Congress's Shahzada Rahul Gandhi stands in Parliament and talks about protecting farmers. The Congress has a long history of misleading the country and now they are spreading lies about trade deals," Shah said.
He was addressing a gathering in Gandhinagar after launching India's first Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)-based Public Distribution System.
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He asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government ensured full protection of farmers' interests in every agreement.
"Rahul Gandhi is spreading lies that trade deals with the European Union, England and America will damage our farmers and end our dairy sector. I want to assure the farmers, cattle-rearers and fishermen of this country that their interests have been fully protected in every agreement signed by PM Modi. There is no need to worry," Shah said.
During the previous regime, agreements detrimental to Indian agriculture were signed. PM Modi reversed such provisions as soon as he assumed office in 2014, he said.
On Congress's criticism that the agreements would destroy India's dairy sector, Shah said Gandhi is "spreading lies" that PM Modi has finished India's dairy sector by signing these deals.
"We are the people who expanded the dairy sector, not weakened it. In all the agreements, full protection has been given to dairy sector," he said.
Shah challenged Gandhi to debate the issue publicly.
"Rahul Gandhi ji, decide any platform. Even the BJP Yuva Morcha president can come and debate with you on who has harmed farmers and who has worked for their welfare," he said.
Following a phone conversation between PM Modi and US President Donald Trump, both sides recently announced a reduction of US tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from 50 per cent.
Last month, India and the European Union (EU) concluded negotiations for the proposed free trade agreement (FTA).
Defending the trade agreements, Shah said, "Through these agreements, our agricultural produce and fishermen's products will get access to world markets. At the same time, farmers' interests have been protected. The BJP and PM Modi can never compromise with farmers' interests," he asserted.
Shah said the Congress had spoken of "garibi hatao" but failed to take concrete steps to eradicate poverty, while PM Modi provided houses, gas connections, toilets, drinking water, free foodgrains and health insurance of Rs 5 lakh.
"In 10 years, 27 crore people have been lifted above the poverty line," he stated, adding that today, 81 crore people are receiving free foodgrains in a transparent manner.
Compare 10 years of the Manmohan Singh-led UPA rule and a decade of the Modi government, Shah said, "We have procured 15 times more foodgrains from farmers at MSP."
During the Congress government, the budget allocation for farmers was around Rs 26,000 crore. Under PM Modi, it has been increased to over Rs 1.29 lakh crore, said Shah.
"You misled farmers by giving a loan waiver only once in 70 years. For the last 10 years, Modi ji has been directly transferring Rs 6,000 every year into the bank accounts of farmers so that they do not need to depend on loans," he highlighted.
After launching India's first CBDC-based PDS and inaugurating a 'Grain ATM' facility, Shah said both initiatives would ensure complete transparency and eliminate corruption in foodgrain distribution. A "very big reform" was taking place in the field of food distribution and food security, he added.
He expressed confidence that the CBDC-based system would be implemented across all states in the coming years, strengthening food security and safeguarding the rights of the poor.
Shah said that in several remote and aspirational districts, including in the North East and other backward regions, 5 kg of foodgrains per person often did not reach beneficiaries.
"People of those regions did not even know that Modi ji was sending 5 kilograms of foodgrains from Delhi for them. Somewhere in the system, the grains were siphoned off. Now no one will be able to interfere. Through a fully digital system, every beneficiary will get their rightful share," he said.
Shah expressed happiness that Gujarat, particularly his parliamentary constituency, had been chosen for launching this pilot project.
"This will ensure that every poor citizen gets rations such as wheat, rice, pulses, oil, salt and sugar in a fully transparent manner. There will be no place for middlemen," he said.
Just as Direct Benefit Transfer introduced by the Modi government eliminated leakages worth over Rs 15 lakh crore, this new step would ensure a transparent distribution system across the country, Shah said.
Using 'Annapurti' Grain ATMs, PDS beneficiaries in Gujarat will receive one kg packets of toor dal, chana, salt and sugar through automated machines 24X7.
Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Pralhad Joshi said that after Gujarat, the government is committed to implementing the CBDC-based PDS in Chandigarh, Puducherry and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and gradually across the entire country.
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US VP JD Vance says Lebanon not part of ceasefire, calls it ‘misunderstanding’
Budapest/Washington: US Vice President J D Vance has said that Lebanon was never included in the ceasefire understanding with Iran, describing the confusion as a “legitimate misunderstanding”.
Speaking to reporters before departing from Hungary, Vance said, “I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon and it just didn’t. We never made that promise.”
He stressed that the United States had not included Lebanon in the scope of the ceasefire at any stage.
His remarks come amid continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon, where more than 200 people were reported killed, even as ceasefire talks between Iran and the US move forward.
Vance said Israel had “offered … to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon because they want to make sure that our negotiation is successful”.
He warned that if Iran allows the situation in Lebanon to affect the negotiations, it could derail the talks.
“If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart in a conflict where they were getting hammered over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice,” he said.
