Modi should step down for 'harming' India's sovereignty with US trade deal: Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has harmed India's sovereignty and weakened the farmers' livelihood by signing the trade deal with the US and demanded he step down.
"A Prime Minister who exposes the nation to pressure, weakens farmers' livelihoods, and damages India's dignity cannot continue in office. For the harm caused to India's sovereignty and self-respect, 'compromised' PM Narendra Modi must take responsibility and immediately resign," Siddaramaiah said in a post on 'X'.
According to him, the interim trade deal announced by Modi and US President Donald Trump did not come from equal and fair negotiations.
It followed "tariff threats, pressure tactics, and public warnings" by the United States on India's trade and energy choices and yielding under such pressure is not diplomacy but "surrender", he charged.
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"By accepting these terms, Narendra Modi has weakened India's independence and lowered the country's standing in the world," he alleged.
Siddaramaiah said the framework is deeply unfair because the US will continue to impose tariffs of around 18 per cent on Indian goods, while India is being pushed to reduce tariffs on American goods to zero and remove other barriers.
He added that there are claims that India will import American goods worth USD 500 billion. US leaders have openly said this framework will benefit American farmers and rural America.
"At the same time, Indian agriculture stands to lose heavily. Indian farmers will be forced to compete with cheap, subsidised American farm products, threatening the livelihoods of 72 crore farmers and farm labourers. This is not free trade. It is economic coercion."
India accepted these terms because Modi reduced India to a position of weakness, where protecting himself mattered more than protecting the country, Siddaramaiah charged.
Cases involving billionaire industrialist and Modi's "close friend Gautam Adani" are ongoing in US courts, he said.
He also alleged that the names of the Prime Minister and a senior union minister name have emerged in the Jeffrey Epstein files, a charge the External Affairs Ministry has already trashed.
India's global respect was built by leaders who stood firm under pressure and gave moral leadership through principle and courage, the CM said.
Siddaramaiah pointed out that late PM Jawaharlal Nehru protected India's independence through the Non-Aligned Movement. Indira Gandhi decisively "cut" Pakistan into two despite strong pressure from the United States.
He also claimed that Manmohan Singh steered India through a global economic depression, ensuring economic stability. Even Atal Bihari Vajpayee showed courage during the nuclear tests, he said.
"Narendra Modi has broken this tradition, reduced foreign policy to slogans, events, and personal image building," Siddaramaiah said, adding when real pressure came from President Trump, there was "silence".
"Serious questions have also been raised about PM Modi's handling of China after disclosures from former Army Chief General M M Naravane's book pointed to weak political leadership at crucial times," he charged.
"The same silence followed when Donald Trump repeatedly claimed credit for India-Pakistan ceasefire decisions," the CM said and added that this is not a series of isolated failures but a clear pattern of "surrender" - on trade, diplomacy, and national security.
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Late flourish masks CSK’s batting woes on lively Chepauk track, hosts post 158/7
Chennai (PTI): Bowlers calling the shots in a format dominated by big hitters is a rarity, but that script played out at Chepauk on Sunday as Gujarat Titans exploited a lively, bounce-friendly surface to stifle Chennai Super Kings before the hosts managed a late flourish to reach 158 for 7.
On a pitch that offered sharp carry, stroke-making demanded discretion and adaptability. Instead, CSK’s batters often opted for high-risk shots without fully assessing conditions, and paid the price with a flurry of miscued dismissals.
Invited to bat, CSK never quite found rhythm but skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s maiden half-century (74 not out) of the current IPL season lent a semblance of respectability to the total in a season where 200-plus scores have become commonplace.
Gaikwad's knock came off 60 balls with six fours and four sixes after a laboured start.
The tone was set early by GT pacer Mohammed Siraj, who extracted steep bounce and forced errors.
Sanju Samson (11) began watchfully, negotiating the first over before opening up against Kagiso Rabada to bring up his 5000 IPL runs milestone. However, Rabada’s bounce soon accounted for him as a hard slash outside off resulted in a faint edge that Jos Buttler pouched safely.
The dismissal triggered a collapse. Urvil Patel (4) fell in the same Rabada over attempting an ambitious pull, while Sarfaraz Khan (0) succumbed to Siraj’s extra lift, mistiming a short ball to offer a simple catch.
At 28 for 3 inside the Powerplay, CSK were already in trouble.
Gaikwad and Dewald Brevis (2) needed to rebuild, but the latter’s impatience against spinner Manav Suthar led to his downfall, holing out after failing to get to the pitch of the ball.
The mounting wickets forced Gaikwad into a shell — an approach that, while understandable, further stalled the momentum. His reluctance to improvise allowed dot balls to pile up, with CSK reaching 50 only in the 12th over.
The skipper eventually broke free, taking on Arshad Khan and Jason Holder with a couple of towering sixes, but the acceleration came too late.
Shivam Dube, dropped thrice on 6, 11 and 22, struggled for fluency before Arshad cleaned him up.
Kartik Sharma (15) and Jamie Overton (18) provided late impetus with a few lusty hits, but the damage had already been done.
On a pitch that rewarded discipline and smart shot selection, Titans' bowlers executed their plans to perfection, while CSK’s batters failed to read the conditions in time, a lapse that ultimately defined the innings.
