Gandhinagar, February 15 (IANS). Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday rejected Congress’s claim that India’s recent trade agreements with the US and EU will harm farmers. He said that the government has taken care to completely protect the agriculture, dairy and fisheries sectors in every agreement.
Addressing an event organized after inaugurating the country’s first Central Bank Digital Currency-based Public Distribution System in Gandhinagar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi of misleading farmers about the impact of free trade agreements.
He said, “When Rahul Gandhi stands in Parliament and talks about the safety of farmers, it looks ridiculous. Congress has a long history of misleading the country and now it is spreading lies about trade agreements.”
The Home Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ensured protection of the interests of farmers, cattle herders and fishermen during the talks.
He said, “In every agreement signed with the European Union and America, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ensured complete protection of your interests.”
Referring to the steps taken by the government for the agriculture sector, Shah said that during the tenure of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the agriculture budget was Rs 26,000 crore, which has increased to Rs 1,29,000 crore in the current Narendra Modi government.
He also said that in the last decade, procurement of food grains at Minimum Support Price has increased 15 times as compared to the previous UPA government.
He said, “For 70 years, Congress talked about loan waiver but did nothing. Today, Rs 6,000 is being sent directly to the bank accounts of farmers, so that they do not need to take loans.”
Responding to criticism that free trade agreements are hurting the dairy sector, Shah said the government has strengthened dairy production, not weakened it.
“Complete protection has been given to the dairy sector in all the agreements,” he said.
He also challenged Rahul Gandhi for a public debate on this issue and also said that the President of Bharatiya Janata Party’s Yuva Morcha is also ready for the debate.
His comments come amid recent trade agreements in which the US had announced a trade deal after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Donald Trump.
Last month, India and the European Union completed negotiations and announced a free trade agreement.
–IANS
AMT/DSC