Senior leader Jairam Ramesh said the first gathering will take place in Bhopal on February 24.
India-US Trade Deal: Congress Launches ‘Kisan Sammelan’ Campaign From Feb 24
The Congress on Friday unveiled a political campaign opposing the proposed India-US trade agreement, announcing a series of ‘Kisan sammelans’ beginning February 24 to mobilise farmers and raise concerns at the grassroots level.
The decision followed a meeting chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. The party reiterated its claim that the trade deal would have an immediate negative impact on farmers across several states.
Senior leader Jairam Ramesh said the first gathering will take place in Bhopal on February 24, with both Kharge and Gandhi expected to attend. The next event is scheduled for March 7 in Yavatmal, Maharashtra, ahead of the upcoming Parliament session, followed by another sammelan in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan.
According to Ramesh, the meeting at Kharge’s residence in Delhi examined the reasons behind the agreement and its possible consequences for agriculture. Leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra attended, including Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, KC Venugopal, and Randeep Singh Surjewala.
The party discussed vulnerabilities in crops such as cotton, soybean, maize and fruits, saying these sectors could be affected first. Congress described the deal as a compromise of domestic interests and indicated it would continue engaging farmer groups to highlight potential risks, especially for small and medium farmers.
Source: The Tribune
