Mohali

Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar on Wednesday said the interim India–US trade agreement would not adversely affect farmers and would instead help strengthen industry and trade, leading to greater employment opportunities for the youth.

Jakhar urged farmer organisations to engage in dialogue if they had concerns about the agreement, stressing that discussions were a better way forward than protests.

He clarified that key crops grown in Punjab — including wheat, paddy, maize and sugarcane — have been kept outside the purview of the trade deal, ensuring that farmers’ interests remain fully protected.

Addressing reporters here, Jakhar said agriculture, while essential for sustaining families, does not generate adequate income to meet the growing aspirations of the next generation. “Every farming family wants their children to find opportunities beyond agriculture,” he said, adding that this can only happen through industrial growth and expanded trade.

He described the trade agreement as a step in that direction, noting that it would provide Indian industry and businesses access to the USD 30-trillion US economy. “As industry and trade grow, employment opportunities for young people will naturally increase,” he said.

Jakhar, who was accompanied by BJP’s Mohali district president Sanjiv Vashisht, called upon farmer groups to clearly spell out what negative impact they believe the agreement may have on Punjab’s farming community.

He assured that if any organisation felt the deal could harm farmers, the BJP was open to discussions and ready to address their concerns.

The BJP leader said Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains firmly committed to safeguarding farmers’ interests, and that the same commitment ensured Punjab’s farmers were protected while finalising the agreement.

Jakhar also urged farmer unions to demand implementation of an agricultural policy in Punjab — an issue over which farmers had staged protests for nearly a year but which, he said, remains unaddressed.

Taking aim at the AAP-led state government, he claimed that law and order in Punjab had “deteriorated sharply” and alleged that drug abuse was severely impacting the youth.

“If protests are to be held, they should be on these real issues,” Jakhar said, adding that the trade agreement contained nothing that was against Punjab’s interests.

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He further remarked that while the US president speaks of making America great again, Prime Minister Modi has, in the current global scenario, successfully pursued a policy of making India stronger while protecting national interests through the agreement — an effort he said deserved recognition.