Chandigarh, Feb 12: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers organized large-scale demonstrations across Punjab on Thursday to protest the India-US trade deal, describing the pact as a fatal blow to the nation’s farmers and small traders. Aligning with the ‘Bharat Bandh’ call, party members took to the streets in multiple districts to demand the immediate cancellation of the agreement, which they claim was signed under international pressure.
The protest centered on the potential influx of American dairy and agricultural products into Indian markets. Party leaders noted that the removal of import taxes on these goods would allow foreign products to be sold at prices that local producers cannot match. Mohinder Singh Sidhu, President of the party’s Farmers’ Wing, noted that the agreement is set to break the backbone of the country’s longstanding agricultural system.
“Under this deal, the United States has been allowed to sell dairy and other agricultural products in Indian markets without any tax. This will make American products available in Indian markets at very cheap prices, and the business of our local farmers and dairy operators will come to a complete standstill,” Sidhu said.
Trade Wing General Secretary Ranjit Pal Singh addressed the gathering regarding the disparity in tax structures between the two nations. He mentioned that while American goods will enter India tax-free, Indian traders continue to face significant financial hurdles abroad.
“On one hand, there will be no tax on American products, while on the other hand, Indian traders will have to pay up to 18% tax in the United States. This is not an equal deal,” Singh noted. He described the Central Government’s decision as a direct attack on the ‘annadata’ who sustain the nation.
General Secretary Satvir Singh Bakshi Wala categorized the deal as a move toward economic slavery, asserting that the Union Government has effectively handed over the domestic economy to foreign corporations. He noted that the financial impact would extend beyond the farming community to affect every citizen.
“We will go among the people and expose the Centre’s anti-people policy,” Bakshi Wala said. Party workers mentioned that they will continue to raise awareness in villages and towns to ensure the public understands the long-term implications of the trade pact on national sovereignty.
