New Delhi [India], February 18 : Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has refuted Congress's allegations of suppressing opposition voices in Parliament. He attributed the frequent House disruptions to the opposition's own tactics, noting that as soon as they enter, there is commotion, shouting, and banners.
In an interview with ANI, Rijju said, "Congress says we don't let them speak, but as soon as they enter, there is commotion, shouting, banners.The Prime Minister works for India's interest.Regarding trade deals, Piyush Goyal explained in detail.There is no need to worry for farmers, workers, textile workers, or small-scale industries. Prime Minister Modi has considered every interest.This is historic: every developed country wants to work harmoniously with India, it shows how far India has risen."
"The Parliament that is prevented from running, where papers are thrown or banners are used to disrupt, is largely the work of Congress. Samajwadi also does it, but they can be reasoned with... We can work cordially with the leaders of Samajwadi Party, TMC and even DMK... Smaller opposition parties and MPs lose time to speak due to Rahul Gandhi's behaviour... They are unable to raise their constituency's issues," he added
The Minister singled out Lok Sabha LoP Rahul alleging that his behaviour was childish.
"His behaviour is childish and irresponsible for someone in his position... A Leader of the Opposition represents the whole opposition... Going outside the House, calling people traitors, staging theatrical sit-ins and insisting on reading from an unpublished book, all this is child-like behaviour... We have never seen such a LoP in the history of India," he said
"Congress had strong leaders who used to have maturity in their speech and work. Slowly, though, Congress has become like Rahul Gandhi and those who revolve around him have also become like him. We could not have imagined Congress becoming like this: continuing the same leader even after losing three times in a row. A BJP leader would not remain a leader after losing three times," he added.
Rijiju's comments follow opposition protests against the India-US interim trade deal framework during the Budget session, where members staged demonstrations at Parliament's Makar Dwar, labelling it a "trap deal" with placards.
The United States and India announced a framework for an Interim Agreement on reciprocal, mutually beneficial trade, reaffirming their commitment to a broader Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) launched by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 13, 2025.
As part of the framework, India has agreed to eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of US agricultural and food 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.
On the other hand, the United States will impose a reciprocal tariff of 18 per cent on goods originating in India, including textiles and apparel, leather and footwear, plastic and rubber products, organic chemicals, home decor, artisanal goods and certain machinery.
Meanwhile, India's Chief negotiator and Special Secretary in the Department of Commerce, Rajesh Agrawal, confirmed that India-US trade discussions are progressing toward a formal agreement.
"There have been virtual engagements going on (with the US), and next week, the chief negotiator will be leading a delegation to the US to finalise the legal framework towards the legal agreement that work will carry on next week in Washington," Agrawal said, briefing the media today while releasing the trade data for January.