Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of having “betrayed the country” by entering into a trade agreement with the United States, claiming the deal would adversely affect farmers and small businesses in India.Gandhi made the remarks while inaugurating the valedictory function of the state-wide “Puthuyuga Yatra” led by Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, VD Satheesan.“PM has let the country down. He betrayed the country. I believe the Prime Minister betrayed the country by signing the US deal,” Gandhi said.He alleged that ordinary citizens, particularly farmers and small business owners, would ultimately bear the burden of the agreement.“No Prime Minister before him opened Indian agriculture to US agriculture,” he said.Rahul said the entry of large and mechanised American agricultural corporations into the Indian market would put small farmers under severe pressure and could lead to “devastation” in the agricultural sector.He further alleged that the country’s energy sector had been compromised and claimed that US President Donald Trump had obtained Indian data through the agreement.The Congress leader also alleged that Modi was controlled by Trump, adding that the chief minister of Kerala was similarly controlled by Modi.During his address, Gandhi briefly referred to cricketer Sanju Samson, saying it was encouraging to know that the star wicketkeeper-batsman who featured in the T20 World Cup quarter-final comes from Thiruvananthapuram.The yatra, which began a month ago as part of the party’s campaign ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, travelled across all districts of Kerala.Several leaders attended the event, including KPCC and AICC members such as Sachin Pilot and Deepa Dasmunshi, along with other leaders from the UDF alliance.Addressing the gathering, Satheesan described the yatra as the most meaningful experience of his political life.He said the UDF had presented a “charge sheet” against the LDF government during the course of the march.“Wherever the LDF government failed, the UDF will elevate the state,” he said.Satheesan added that the yatra helped the alliance gather public feedback from across the state, which would be used in shaping policies for Kerala’s future development.He said the UDF intended to introduce a “neo-Kerala model” focused on good governance and solutions to the problems faced by ordinary citizens.“The Kerala government secretariat will be made the most efficient in the country,” he said.Satheesan also promised greater accountability in governance and reforms in key sectors including health, education and employment.He added that specific initiatives would be undertaken to address the challenges faced by poorer sections of society.Expressing confidence about the upcoming Assembly elections, Satheesan said the UDF would return to power.“UDF will come to power winning more than 100 seats,” he said.
