Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 3 : Reacting to Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav's criticism of the BJP-led Centre over the India-US trade deal, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Tuesday said that Yadav should refrain from commenting on the matter if he has no information regarding the deal.
Speaking to ANI, Maurya said, "Samajwadi Party Chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav should refrain from speaking on the India-US trade deal if he has no information regarding it...The tariffs have been reduced to 18 per cent from 50 per cent and this is possible due to PM Modi. If the EU, comprising of 27 countries with a population of over 45 crores, signs FTA, then credit goes to PM Modi. The UK, which used to rule India, we have FTA with them. We have signed FTAs with many nations due to the efforts of PM Modi."
Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav had alleged that opening Indian markets to American agricultural products was a "betrayal" of nearly 70 per cent of the country's population, which depends on farming for their livelihood.
The India-US trade deal reduces tariffs on Indian goods in the US to 18 per cent, while Washington has claimed the deal will help it export more agricultural products to New Delhi.
In a post on X, Yadav wrote, "BJP Strikes at 'Farmers' Again. BJP Government, Give Answers: What's the Pressure? Opening India's markets to American agricultural products and food grains is a betrayal of the 70% of our country's population that depends on farming and agriculture for their livelihood. BJP members and their allies were agents of foreigners even before independence, and they still are today. Let the BJP members and their allies, who talk of self-reliance and swadeshi, go among the people and explain how much commission they have pocketed for betraying the country's economy."
Yadav further alleged that the BJP's policies would not only adversely impact farmers but also harm the lower middle class and middle class by increasing food prices, encouraging profiteering and ultimately forcing farmers to sell their land to large corporations.
"This will severely impact not just farmers, but also the lower middle class and middle class, as it will lead to profiteering from food grains and agricultural products, giving rise to a new breed of middlemen. As a result, all food and drink items will become even more expensive. At the same time, the BJP will also extract donations from these companies, driving up the prices of food and agricultural products even further. Gradually, this will reduce our farmers' farming activities and income, forcing them to sell their land to the rich and corporations. Seizing land is the ultimate goal of BJP members and their allies," the post read.