New Delhi [India], February 10 : Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Tuesday accused the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of "mortgaging" Kashmir and "surrendering" to the British to "fulfil his aspirations".
Showcasing photos of Jawaharlal Nehru with the last Viceroy Mountbatten's wife, Edwina Mountbatten, Giriraj Singh asked Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to apologise for Nehru's alleged actions.
"To fulfil his own aspirations, Nehru ji mortgaged Kashmir. He also surrendered to the British. He celebrated after Ambedkar ji's loss. These photos explain everything. Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the nation," Giriraj Singh said.
Giriraj Singh's take on Nehru came after Opposition MPs' constant criticism of PM Narendra Modi-led NDA government over the recently announced framework of the India-United States Interim Trade Agreement, which they believed is "surrender of PM Modi's government," raising concern over the farmers' safety and India's sovereignty over its purchase of discounted Russian oil.
Earlier in the day, the INDIA bloc MPs carried a poster with the pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, and wrote, "Narender surrendered? The nation is watching."
Opposition MPs have been demanding a discussion on the trade deal framework during the Budget Session of Parliament.
According to a joint statement from the Ministry of Commerce and the White House, the United States will apply a reciprocal tariff rate of 18 per cent on goods originating in India, including textiles and apparel, leather and footwear, plastic and rubber, organic chemicals, home decor, artisanal products, and certain machinery.
India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of US food and agricultural products, including dried distillers' grains (DDGs), red sorghum for animal feed, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products.
Additionally, according to a White House statement, India will stop purchasing Russian oil after the U.S. eliminated the additional tariffs imposed on India purchases.
"India has committed to stop directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil, has represented that it will purchase United States energy products from the United States, and has recently committed to a framework with the United States to expand defence cooperation over the next 10 years," The White House said.
However, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Monday clarified that "national interest" would continue to guide India's energy-related decisions, underlining that the key drivers of the country's energy policy are "adequate availability, fair pricing and reliability of supply", amid reports suggesting New Delhi is cutting its oil imports from Russia.