Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (February 12, 2026) said the government could file cases or move a Privilege Motion against him, but he would continue to stand with farmers, as he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being “anti-farmer” and of “selling” the country through the India-U.S. interim trade deal.
“I stand with the farmers and won’t back an inch,” Mr. Gandhi said in a video that he posted on his X handle.
Earlier in the day, Opposition leaders including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge protested within the Parliament complex against the trade deal as well as expressed solidarity with the general strike called by labour unions and farmers’ association.
MPs from Samajwadi Party, DMK and Left parties also took part in the protest outside Makar Dwar of Parliament.
‘Chokehold on PM’
In a video statement posted online, Mr. Gandhi launched a sharp attack on the government over the agreement, alleging that there was a “chokehold” on the Prime Minister and that his “reins” were in the hands of U.S. President Donald Trump.
“FIR is filed, a case is registered, or a Privilege Motion is brought — I will fight for the farmers,” he said in an X post in Hindi along with the video, adding: “Any trade deal that takes away the farmers’ livelihood or weakens the country’s food security is anti-farmer. We will not let the anti-farmer Modi government compromise on the interests of the food providers.”
In the video, Mr. Gandhi said farmers were the foundation of the country.
“The Congress fought for food security and Narendra Modi has betrayed our food security and our farmers. By striking a deal with the U.S., he has sold cotton, soybean, apple and fruit farmers. For years, foreigners have been trying to capture our agriculture market,” he said, adding that Mr. Modi had opened the doors for them.
“This is the truth, he (Modi) also knows this. He has done this as there is a chokehold on his neck. Narendra Modi’s reins are in the hands of Donald Trump,” he claimed.
Mr. Gandhi claimed that “maize, cotton, soybean and fruit farmers are only the beginning” and alleged that the Prime Minister would open the entire agriculture market to “friends like Adani, Ambani and foreign powers.”
He also criticised the differences prevailing between Indian and American farming systems. “American farmers have farmlands that are in acres, it is all mechanised and the government gives them subsidy. On the other hand, the farms owned by our farmers are small, they don’t get MSP and there is no mechanisation,” he said.
‘Will not budge an inch’
“Put cases against me, abuse me, do whatever you want, file a Privilege Motion, it does not matter to me… Do whatever you want, I am standing with the farmers. I will not budge even an inch,” Mr. Gandhi said doubling down on his stance.
“Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge ji, me, and the whole Congress are standing with the farmers. We will not let this injustice happen,” he added.
Mr. Gandhi alleged that the agreement, which he said involved removing “non-tariff barriers” on American agricultural products, posed a direct threat to India’s food security and farmers’ livelihoods. He said small farmers would not be able to compete with subsidised and mechanised American agriculture.
“We will fight from the streets to Parliament, in every village, on every platform — protecting India’s farmers and the nation’s food security,” he said.
At a meeting of Lok Sabha MPs of the Congress in the evening, Mr. Gandhi lauded his colleagues for dominating the first part of the Budget session, taking on the government on a “sell out” trade deal and urged them to take the message to the people.
Published – February 12, 2026 11:05 pm IST
