Congress says U.S. trade deal ‘mortgages’ farmer interests, energy security and digital autonomy

The Congress party accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "surrendering" to the United States by signing an interim trade agreement that they claim undermines India's energy security, data and digital autonomy, livelihood of farmers, and economic self-reliance. Party leaders, including Randeep Surjewala and Anand Sharma, argued that the agreement is one-sided and unequal, opening the door to duty-free imports of American agricultural products that would hurt Indian producers and weaken protections for farmers. They also criticized the agreement's provisions requiring India to purchase $100 billion worth of American goods annually, calling it a "sell-out" deal.