New Delhi [India], February 11 : Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav alleged that the India-US interim trade deal will "hurt our farmers and small industrialists", while responding to the debate on the Union Budget 2026-27 in the Lok Sabha by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Yadav slammed Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for selectively targeting Bengal, ignoring similar issues in other states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Odisha.
"Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was talking about Bengal, keeping in mind the Bengal elections. She was talking about crimes against women in Bengal, but she was not raising the issue of crimes against women in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, or Odisha. She has spoken in a biased manner," Yadav said. She also raised concerns over the India-US interim trade deal, stating, "The way the deal with America has happened... This will harm our farmers, small industrialists..."
SP MP Anand Bhadauriya said the opposition expected more substance but received a "hollow budget" instead.
"We had initially hoped that the budget would be a good one, but a hollow budget was presented. The opposition raised questions in the House, but the Finance Minister did not give a meaningful response to any of them; instead, it felt like she was delivering a political speech," he said.
Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda alleged that the Union Budget failed to prioritise farmers' welfare.
"In this budget, the government has completely sidelined the farmers... They didn't even mention our demand for MSP... They've gone ahead and made a deal with America. In this deal, farmers are going to suffer major losses in the coming times," Hooda said, adding that the interim agreement could have "a negative impact on the country's economy."
Congress MP Tariq Anwar said, "The questions raised by the Leader of Opposition, she (Nirmala Sitharaman) tried not to answer them... We believe that the kind of deal that has been made, it benefits American farmers... We are the ones who suffer," he said.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his allegations against the government on the India-US Interim Trade Agreement, saying he made his speech "without reading the Union Budget" and that government has made various provisions to deal with the uncertainties in view of the fluid geo-political situation.
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