• Opposition claims Modi surrendered to Trump over Epstein files
• Growers fears the disastrous impact of the agreement; nationwide protests set for Feb 12
NEW DELHI: Indian farmers on Monday slammed a new US trade deal as “a surrender to multinational agricultural giants”, calling for the commerce minister’s resignation as Congress accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of capitulating to US President Donald Trump over the “Epstein files” release.
Congress leaders claimed an Indian minister, a businessman and individuals close to the prime minister were mentioned in the files, along with Modi.
According to a report in The Hindu, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) demanded Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s immediate resignation as soon as he explained the details of the bilateral pact.
Leaders of the union representing apple and cotton growers said any relaxation on the import of cotton would be disastrous for the economies of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Talking to reporters at a press conference on Saturday, SKM leaders called the framework for the interim agreement on bilateral trade a “total surrender” to America’s agriculture sector.
They cited the inclusion of dried distillers’ grains, red sorghum for animal feed, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, soybean oil, wine and spirits in the joint statement.
The leaders warned that the animal feed market would be completely monopolised by US companies.
SKM leaders urged farmers across the country to join protest demonstrations on Feb 12 and to support a general strike of workers as a “befitting reply to the anti-people Modi government”.
The leaders said Goyal’s claim that the agriculture and dairy sectors were excluded from the agreement was incorrect.
“Dairy products are part of the FTAs signed with the UK, New Zealand and European Union and the fresh revelations have undoubtedly proved the Commerce Minister is consciously propagating falsehood and betraying the farmers and the entire people,” the SKM statement said.
“SKM considers the role of Commerce Minister as a traitor and demands his immediate resignation.”
The organisation demanded that Prime Minister Modi desist from signing the India-US Free Trade Agreement or face “massive pan-India united mass struggles”.
Farmers’ leaders highlighted tariff disparities, noting that US tariffs on Indian goods rose from zero in 2023-24 to 18pc, while Indian tariff rates on US agriculture products dropped from between 30pc and 150pc to zero. They said this would make Indian agriculture hang by the noose of US MNCs.
The SKM also questioned Goyal’s position that the animal husbandry sector had requested imported feed. The group said poultry groups were the ones demanding feed based on maize and soybean to reduce minimum support prices for domestic crops.
“We have heard that the animal feed in US may contain non-vegetarian items too. Why does the government want our cows to eat non-vegetarian food?” asked Rakesh Tikait, a prominent SKM leader.
The statement also targeted the ruling party’s ideological parent organisation.
“The RSS had been claiming no import of milk of animals fed with meat. That was a non-tariff barrier,” the statement said. “Now, the RSS has been made to eat its own claim by ‘Master’ Donald Trump and they have cowed down completely.”
M.Y. Tarigami, leader of the Apple Farmers Federation of India and a Jammu and Kashmir lawmaker, said the trade deal would devastate regional economies.
“We have been facing problems in apple cultivation due to lack of marketing facilities and climatic challenges,” Tarigami said. “Farmers in both the states are already in distress. This announcement will be a huge setback for apple and tree nut growers.”
“In a state like Jammu and Kashmir, where there are no other economic avenues such as industry, the only source of income was cultivation of apples and dry fruits,” Tarigami added. “The Union government does not care about farmers here and is working for their masters in the United States.”
Protesting against the government’s lack of transparency regarding the deal, the Congress party on Friday displayed a poster reading “Trap Deal” at the main entrance of the Parliament complex.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters that President Trump pressured Modi into signing the deal because of the Epstein files.
“The truth is that over the past few days, Narendra Modi has been troubled because matters related to him have come up in the Epstein files. After that, Narendra Modi surrendered before Trump and struck a trade deal,” Kharge said.
“He sacrificed the country’s farmers. Modi is making our people poor and making America’s farmers rich.”
Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2026
