Govt 'deceiving' cotton farmers, textile sector in US deal: Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused the Modi government of "deceiving" Indian cotton farmers and the textile sector in the proposed India-US trade arrangement, alleging that Bangladesh has secured a "0% tariff" advantage over India's "18% tariff" on garment exports to the US.

In a social media post, Gandhi claimed that Bangladesh was being offered zero-duty access for garments to the US market on the condition that it import American cotton.

"18% tariff vs 0% - let me explain how the Prime Minister and his cabinet, experts in lying, are spreading confusion on this issue and deceiving the country's cotton farmers and textile exporters through the India-US trade agreement," Gandhi said.


He added that when he raised the issue in Parliament regarding concessions allegedly extended to Bangladesh, a Union minister responded that India would have to import cotton from the US to secure similar benefits.