India-US trade deal an attack on Apple and other farmers in Kashmir: Himachal CM Sukhvinder Sukhu

Srinagar: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday said that the recent India-US trade deal will negatively impact farmers across the country, especially in J&K and Himachal, where apple, almond and walnut farmers will face adverse consequences.

Sukhu, while interacting with the media in Srinagar along with J&K Congress chief Tariq Hamid Karra, said the Congress was not against any international trade but questioned the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government has agreed to this trade deal.

“Apple farmers in J&K and HP and walnut and almond traders majorly in Kashmir will have to face acute adverse consequences. Rates of almonds have already gone down,” Sukhu said.


He said the Congress party is interacting with the press across the country to make people aware of the consequences of this deal. “Rahul Gandhi is not allowed to speak in Parliament. He is reaching out to people through the press, social media and interactions like these,” he said.

“Trade deals with New Zealand, US, European Union and other countries are fine, but the question is whether the interests of our farmers were kept in mind as the government claims,” Sukhu asked.

He said that if our orchardists have to export apple to US, they will face 18% import duty and when the US farmer –– who gets huge subsidy from the government –– sends the same to India, he will have zero import duty. “Is this beneficial or pro-Indian farmer,” Sukhu asked.

When asked about attacks on Kashmiri traders in his state, Sukhu claimed that such attacks were “rare” and often “exaggerated” through social media and sometimes exploited by Opposition political parties like the RSS.

“In a recent case, we immediately ordered an investigation and we arrested the accused within 24 hours,” Sukhu said, emphasising on the zero tolerance policy for such incidents.

“For centuries, our Kashmiri brothers and sisters have been coming to Himachal. That is their second home,” he said.

“I want to say that many times, people from the RSS also talk about such things for political gains. Some people try to spread negativity and hate by making videos of such rare incidents,” he said.