Rahul Gandhi: India-US Deal 'Sold Bharat Mata'; Birla Acts
Rahul Gandhi alleges government 'sold Bharat Mata' via India-U.S. trade deal, compromising energy security & farmers. Om Birla directs Secretariat on Opposition notice.
frame and share 
NEW DELHI – Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi ignited a political firestorm on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, accusing the government of having “sold Bharat Mata” through the recently concluded India-U.S. interim trade deal. Speaking during the debate on the Union Budget, Gandhi characterized the agreement as a “wholesale surrender,” alleging it compromised India’s energy security and undermined farmers’ interests. In related news, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla instructed the Secretariat to rectify an Opposition notice seeking his removal.
Rahul Gandhi Slams India-U.S. Trade Deal as 'Wholesale Surrender'
Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the government’s handling of the India-U.S. trade deal, asserting that the nation’s core interests had been sacrificed. “You have sold India. Are you not ashamed of selling India? You have sold our mother, ‘Bharat Mata,’” he declared, referring to the interim trade agreement.
The LoP further alleged that the deal had effectively handed over India’s energy security to the United States. He claimed that under the terms of the agreement, the U.S. would now dictate “whom we buy oil from,” a critical blow to India’s strategic autonomy. Gandhi also highlighted the perceived neglect of farmers’ interests, though specific details of these compromises were not elaborated in the immediate context.
Drawing a sharp contrast, Gandhi posited that an INDIA Bloc government, had it been in power, would have approached trade negotiations with the U.S. differently. He stated that such a government would have insisted on equal treatment from U.S. President Donald Trump, advocating for India's sovereign rights and interests on the global stage, rather than what he described as a capitulation.
Om Birla Directs Secretariat to Correct Opposition Notice
Amidst the heated parliamentary debates, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla instructed the Secretariat to make necessary corrections to a notice submitted by the Opposition, which sought his removal. While the specifics of the notice and the required corrections were not immediately detailed, the directive underscores ongoing procedural and political tensions within the Parliament.
