Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the recently announced India-US trade deal, alleging that the agreement compromised India’s national interests.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament after a disruption in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi said the Prime Minister had “sold the country” under external pressure.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sold your hard work in this trade deal because he is compromised. He has sold the country,” Gandhi said, following the adjournment of the House amid heated exchanges between opposition and ruling party members.
Lok Sabha Disruption Over Ex-Army Chief’s Book
The disruption occurred shortly after proceedings resumed when Rahul Gandhi attempted to raise concerns over the government’s handling of India-China border tensions. He referred to a magazine article citing an unpublished book by former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane.
The book, which is pending government clearance, had earlier been disallowed as a reference on Monday. On Tuesday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju reiterated that parliamentary rules do not permit citing unpublished material, a position upheld by the Chair.
When Gandhi sought permission to paraphrase the contents instead of quoting directly, the Chair denied the request, stating that the issue had already been settled.
Heated Exchanges Lead to Adjournment
Congress MPs, including K.C. Venugopal, protested the ruling, arguing that Gandhi was raising matters of national security. Members of the BJP-led NDA responded with counter-slogans, escalating tensions in the House.
The situation intensified when Venugopal used the word “yaar” during his protest, drawing a sharp objection from the Chair, Krishna Prasad Tenneti of the Telugu Desam Party, who was presiding in the absence of Speaker Om Birla.
“This is Parliament. What is this word ‘yaar’?” the Chair said, following which the House was adjourned.
Rahul Gandhi’s Remarks Outside Parliament
Addressing the media after the adjournment, Rahul Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Modi was under pressure due to developments involving industrialist Gautam Adani in the United States.
“There is a case against Adani ji in the US, and in reality, it is a case against Modi ji,” Gandhi claimed. He also referred to unreleased documents linked to the Jeffrey Epstein case, suggesting that these factors had influenced India’s decision-making in its dealings with the US.
“These are pressure points. The country should understand why such a deal was agreed to,” he said.
Gandhi further stated that this was the first time a Leader of Opposition had not been allowed to speak on the President’s address, calling it a worrying precedent for parliamentary democracy.
