Rahul Gandhi says PM Modi ‘betrayed the country’ by signing US trade deal

New Delhi: Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “betraying the country” by entering into a trade agreement with the United States, claiming that the deal will adversely affect Indian farmers and small businesses.Gandhi was speaking at the farewell ceremony of the state-wide ‘Puthuyuga Yatra’ led by Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly VD Satheesan.“The Prime Minister has let the country down. He has betrayed the country. I believe the Prime Minister betrayed the country by signing the US deal,” Gandhi said.He claimed that ordinary citizens, especially farmers and small business owners, would ultimately bear the burden of the agreement.“No prime minister before him opened up Indian agriculture to American agriculture,” he said.Rahul said the entry of large US mechanized farming companies into the Indian market would put small farmers under huge pressure and could lead to “disruption” in the agricultural sector.He further claimed that the country’s energy sector has been compromised and alleged that US President Donald Trump had access to India’s data through the agreement.The Congress leader also claimed that Modi was controlled by Trump, adding that the Kerala chief minister was also controlled by Modi.Gandhi, who briefly mentioned cricketer Sanju Samson in his speech, said it was encouraging to know that the star wicketkeeper-batsman who played in the T20 World Cup quarter-finals was from Thiruvananthapuram.The yatra, which started a month ago, is spread across all districts of Kerala as part of the party’s campaign ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.The event was attended by several leaders, including KPCC and AICC members Sachin Pilot and Deepa Dasmunshi, and other leaders of the UDF alliance.Addressing the rally, Satishan described the pilgrimage as the most meaningful experience in his political career.He said the UDF submitted a “charge sheet” to the LDF government during the march.“As long as the SDF government fails, the United SDF will enhance the status of the state,” he said.Satishan added that the yatra helped the alliance gather public feedback from across the state, which would be used to formulate policies for the future development of Kerala.He said the UDF intends to introduce a “New Kerala Model” that will focus on good governance and solving problems faced by ordinary citizens.“The Kerala Government Secretariat will be the most efficient Government Secretariat in the country,” he said.Satisan also pledged to strengthen governance and reform accountability in key areas such as health, education and employment.Concrete initiatives will be taken to address the challenges faced by the poorer sections of society, he added.Satishan was confident of the upcoming parliamentary elections and said the UDF would return to power.“UDF will win more than 100 seats,” he said.