Jalandhar: Congress leaders, led by MLA Pargat Singh, on Monday criticized the India-US trade agreement, calling it detrimental to the livelihoods of the farming and labor communities. A delegation of party leaders and workers submitted a memorandum to the Governor through Deputy Commissioner Dr. Himanshu Aggarwal. In a stern warning, they stated that the India-US trade agreement would be disastrous for farmers. They emphasized that if foreign equipment and crops enter the country at zero percent duty, small and medium-scale farmers in Punjab and across India would be unable to compete.
Singh said, “This decision will ruin farmers, most of whom are small-scale farmers who lack the resources to compete with global corporations.” He demanded the immediate repeal of the decision, noting that farmers are already reeling from the impact of the previous “three black laws” and the recent floods. Furthermore, Pargat Singh on Monday described the recent action at MLA Khaira’s home as “hooliganism” motivated by the politics of the Bhagwant Mann-led government. Condemning the action, he said, “The government has crossed all democratic norms and the public will soon give it a befitting reply.”
