Bhopal, Feb 21 (PTI) The Madhya Pradesh Congress on Saturday attacked Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan over the Indo-US interim trade agreement, saying he did not stand with the country’s farmers.

Addressing a press conference, the party’s state in-charge Harish Chaudhary, its MP chief Jitu Patwari and Assembly Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar said the trade agreement will adversely affect the Indian farmers and put their livelihood in jeopardy.

They said the Congress will organise ‘Kisan Sammelans’ across the country against the deal. The first such event would be held in Bhopal on February 24, where Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, opposition leaders in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, respectively, would be present, they said.

Patwari alleged that Union Chouhan, who was earlier the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, failed to stand with farmers. “This agreement insults farmers. Madhya Pradesh’s farmers will not remain silent,” he said.

He said a farmers’ ‘chaupal’ (gathering) and a foot march will be held in Budhni, Vidisha, respectively. Chouhan represents the Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency. Earlier, he was an MLA from Budhni.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi sold India’s farmers to America,” Patwari said.

Chaudhary said restrictions on foodgrain supply by the United States in 1965 and 1971 had severely impacted India, after which the Green Revolution made the country self-reliant.

He said the proposed trade deal could create similar conditions.

“If soybean is imported from the US, farmers and small traders will be badly affected. India is self-reliant in cotton, yet imports will directly hit farmers’ consumption and income,” he added.

Chaudhary said the trade arrangement amounted to India’s “surrender” before the US. He said the trade deal could push lakhs of small industries and factories towards closure.

Singhar said the trade deal was not in the national interest. PTI LAL NR

Trade agreement criticised as threatening farmers' livelihoods and spurring nationwide farmer protests and political agitation. The state Congress contends the interim Indo US trade agreement will expose Indian farmers to damaging import competition-particularly in soybean and cotton-depress domestic prices, threaten small traders and related industries, and amount to a surrender of national agricultural interests. It has announced coordinated protests and gatherings (Kisan Sammelans, chaupals, marches) in Bhopal, Budhni and Vidisha, blaming the Union Agriculture Minister for failing to defend farmers and urging mobilisation to protect rural livelihoods.