"Not a win-win situation": Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi flags concerns over India-US trade deal

New Delhi [India], February 3 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Tuesday flagged concerns over the India-US trade deal as Washington claimed that the agreement will help them export more agricultural products to New Delhi and that India will stop purchasing oil from Russia.
While welcoming the reduction in tariffs on Indian goods, Chaturvedi expressed apprehension and said that the agreement is not a "win-win situation" for all.
"The US-India trade agreement was important. It had been stalled for so long, and India had become the country with the highest tariffs. They've now brought them down to 18 per cent, which I welcome. But the way we have brought tariffs and trade barriers down to zero. We agree to buy Venezuelan oil, stop buying Iranian oil, and stop buying Russian oil. Then, the trade barriers on agricultural goods have been removed from our markets. I will still wait for the details, but it is not what the Indians expected. What has come from Trump's side doesn't seem like a win-win situation at all," the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP told ANI.
Congress MP Ujjwal Raman Singh questioned the Prime Minister after US President Donald Trump announced the reduction in tariffs to 18 per cent, instead of an Indian government official. While Trump claimed that India has agreed not to purchase oil from Russia, the Congress MP questioned the Centre over India's sovereignty.
Ujjwal Raman Singh told ANI, "We were forced. If the PM had announced it in Parliament... Trump's announcement of the deal means that he had already decided that the agreement would happen only if India purchased oil from Venezuela. There has been a compromise with India's interests. The Prime Minister and the BJP government have made the nation bow down, and we are paying the price. We are breaking away from the decades-old ties with Russia."
"If oil is cheaper in Venezuela, Iran or Russia, we should have the autonomy to choose. We are not under somebody, but today, when the US President wants, he stops the war and makes us buy Venezuelan oil. This is like mortgaging India's foreign policy," the Congress MP added.
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari asked PM Modi to open up on the deal in the Parliament.
Tiwari said, "Looking at recent events, it seems as if India's capital has shifted from New Delhi to Washington, DC, and PM Modi has gone on a long vacation. We are learning about all of India's decisions from Washington, DC, and its President Donald Trump, who is making the announcements. Prime Minister, your silence is troubling us. This is against the self-respect of the country, against its sovereignty, and against its glorious history. Take action and speak the truth; we want to hear it from you, in the Indian Parliament, and in the country's capital, Delhi."
Trump announced on Monday that the US and India "have agreed to a trade deal," with Washington reducing the reciprocal tariff from 25 per cent to 18 per cent "out of friendship and respect" for PM Modi. The US President also claimed that PM Modi had agreed to "stop buying Russian oil" and to buy much more from the US.
Following Trump's social media post, PM Narendra Modi announced the deal on X, noting he was delighted that "Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent."
The Prime Minister said, "Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement."
He affirmed, "President Trump's leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace." (ANI)