Akhilesh Yadav terms Indo-US trade deal 'one-sided'

New Delhi: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday mounted a sharp attack on the government over the interim trade agreement with the US, questioning both its timing and intent, and alleging that the deal compromised farmers, industry and self-reliance goals.

Participating in the discussion on the budget in the Lok Sabha, Yadav termed the trade understanding "one-sided" and said it would open Indian markets to American agricultural products, severely impacting farmers. "America se deal nahi, dheel (compromise)hui hai," he remarked.

"If this deal was already finalised, then what was the purpose and timing of presenting the budget in this manner?" Yadav said, adding traders and those linked to industry were forced to operate under prolonged uncertainty.


Yadav warned that increased agricultural imports from the US would leave Indian farmers with little incentives or capacity to cultivate their fields. He alleged that the interim agreement undermines flagship initiatives such as 'Make in India' and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', weakening domestic manufacturing and industrial growth.

Yadav described the budget as "directionless" and incapable of realising the vision of a developed India by 2047. He claimed the budget offered no meaningful support to farmers.