Karaikal

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday accused Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi of attempting to mislead farmers and fishermen, while strongly defending the free trade agreements (FTAs) signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

Addressing a public meeting in Karaikal, Shah said the trade agreements concluded with the European Union, United Kingdom and the United States would bring substantial benefits, particularly to India’s fishing community.

“The free trade agreements signed by PM Narendra Modi with the European Union and England, and the trade deal with the United States, are going to be of great benefit to our country’s fishermen,” Shah said.

He alleged that the Congress leader, who represents Rae Bareli, was spreading misinformation about the impact of these agreements. “Rahul Gandhi wants to mislead the country’s fishermen and farmers. He wants to spread confusion by telling lies,” Shah charged.

The home minister urged Gandhi to study the details of the FTAs before making public statements, and asserted that the Modi government has ensured full protection for farmers and livestock owners. Drawing a contrast with the previous Congress-led regime, Shah said farmers had suffered during the tenure of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, when several international agreements were signed without adequately safeguarding agricultural interests.

Taking a swipe at Gandhi’s political style, Shah remarked, “Rahul Gandhi’s policy is to lie, speak loudly and repeat the lie again and again. But the people of this country have now recognised your lie-manufacturing factory.”

Predicting the political future, Shah said that the electorate would reject the opposition’s narrative and asserted that an National Democratic Alliance-led government under Modi would return to power in 2029.

Meanwhile, at a press conference on the Viksit Bharat Budget, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said nearly 70 per cent of global trade markets are now open to India through preferential access under FTAs. He noted that India has concluded nine FTAs with 38 developed countries as part of its long-term vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047.

Goyal added that the government had been cautious in protecting sensitive sectors such as dairy, agriculture and genetically modified foods, while opening up employment-intensive sectors like textiles, leather and electronics to new global markets. He said these agreements would help expand businesses and generate large-scale employment.

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However, opposition MPs continued to protest in Parliament against the India–US interim trade agreement, terming it a “trap deal” during the Budget session, which concluded its first phase on February 13.