Opposition firebrand Akhilesh Yadav turned up the heat on the BJP-led government in Parliament, branding the new India-US interim trade agreement a ‘slack deal’ that undermines national interests. Speaking amid Union Budget discussions, the former Uttar Pradesh CM dissected the pact’s flaws and opacity.
Announced amid Trump’s triumphant claims, the deal sees India cutting tariffs to 18 percent on key US goods and zero on others. But without official Indian confirmation, questions swirl about its scope and benefits.
Yadav zeroed in on procedural lapses: ‘Was the budget prepared pre-deal or post? Why the 11-month wait if it was so crucial?’ He expressed alarm over potential rupee volatility and harm to domestic manufacturers, urging a thorough impact study.
Dismissing BJP’s FTA push, he asked which nations would be excluded and ridiculed the math: ‘One-sided $500 million trade—Atmanirbhar Bharat vanished from the dictionary?’ Yadav linked this to broader economic insecurity.
The budget fared no better in his eyes, with scathing remarks on its neglect of PDA castes, the poor, Dalits, and Adivasis. ‘Zero allocation for the marginalized,’ he alleged.
As trade tensions simmer, Yadav’s offensive highlights a critical opposition narrative: prioritizing self-reliance over rushed international pacts in India’s growth story.