"Many questions unanswered": AAP MP Sanjay Singh on India-US trade deal

New Delhi [India], February 4 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of Parliament Sanjay Singh on Wednesday said that many questions were left unanswered in the Parliament by the Industries and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on the India-US trade deal.
The AAP leader threatened to continue the agitation from the streets to the Parliament.
"If you stop buying oil from Russia at the behest of the US, it will directly impact the people of India. We buy about 40% of our crude oil from Russia. Now, America is saying that India should not buy oil from Russia but instead buy it from the US or Venezuela. If we stop buying oil from Russia, it will put a burden of Rs 80,000 crore on the public... There are many questions that the minister has not answered in the Parliament... Our protest will continue from the streets to the Parliament," Singh told reporters.
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said in the Parliament that "ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion Indians is the supreme priority of the government".
During his statement on the India-US trade deal in the Rajya Sabha, Goyal noted that diversifying energy sources in response to market conditions is central to the national strategy.
"As India proceeds on the path to Viksit Bharat, we will need to grow our capacities enormously in multiple sectors, including energy, aviation, data centres, and nuclear power," Goyal remarked, pointing out that the US is a world leader in these fields.
He highlighted that both countries have finalised several areas of a bilateral trade agreement following intensive negotiations. Goyal informed the House that both sides will now work to complete technical processes and finalise paperwork to expeditiously unlock the potential of the deal. He described the framework as a landmark step in strengthening bilateral relations and advancing the vision of a developed India by 2047.
He added that the 18 per cent rate announced by US President Donald Trump is lower than tariffs imposed on several competing countries, which enhances India's export competitiveness.
In the statement delivered to the House, Goyal noted that the negotiating teams for both nations engaged over the last year to conclude a balanced and mutually beneficial agreement. He stated that the discussions aimed to safeguard critical and sensitive sectors in their respective economies. The Minister emphasised that the interests of India's agriculture and dairy sectors remain protected under the new framework.
"The US side, too, had areas that were sensitive from its point of view. Following a nearly year-long discussion spread over many rounds, the two negotiating teams were able to narrow their differences significantly and finalise several areas of the bilateral trade agreement," Goyal said.
Following the announcement by US President Donald Trump on February 2, the reciprocal tariff by the US was reduced to 18 per cent from 25 per cent, while the additional 25 per cent punitive levy linked to India's purchase of Russian oil has been removed.
"Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%," Trump wrote on Truth Social. (ANI)