Akhilesh Demands Parliament Debate On India-US Trade Framework

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said the Opposition wants Parliament to function but insisted that the government must answer serious questions on the India-US interim trade framework, which he described as a “dheel” or concession rather than a fair deal.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Yadav said, “All of us in the opposition want the parliament to function, and it becomes very important when such a big deal has happened with America. It’s not a deal, it’s a ‘dheel’.”

Yadav further said the scale at which India’s markets were being opened made it imperative for the House to discuss the issue. “The house should function because after a long time, since 91-92, the market has opened on such a large scale. India’s market and economy are surrounded by America, Europe, China, and many other countries. Our foreign policy and relations will be decided by the economy. Therefore, the government should come forward and, instead of avoiding many things, directly answer the opposition’s questions,” he said.

Using sharp metaphors, Yadav questioned the intent behind recent policy moves. Referring to the traditional halwa ceremony before the Budget, he remarked, “Looking at the budget and the deal, one wonders for whom the halwa was made for.”

He also accused the BJP of offering contradictory explanations. “The BJP needs to explain whether 18 is bigger or zero. They are saying 18 and zero are equal,” he said.

Raising concerns about farmers, Yadav questioned why India was importing millets after aggressively promoting them domestically. “You promoted millets so much and now you are importing millets. Feed will come from there,” he said. He also attacked the government over unemployment, alleging that the Skill India programme had failed to create jobs. “You used to talk about Skill India. In Skill India, you didn’t promote anyone’s talent. You only polished your own image. Where is Skill India? Where are the jobs? Where is the employment? These are all the questions that the government has to answer,” he asked.

Meanwhile, proceedings in the Lok Sabha remained disrupted. The House was adjourned till February 10 after reconvening briefly at 2 pm, following repeated adjournments earlier in the day, as Opposition MPs pressed for a discussion on the India-US trade framework. (ANI)