Government can file FIR or move Privilege Motion, I will stand with farmers: Rahul Gandhi on criticism of U.S. trade deal
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (February 12, 2026) said the government may file a case against him or initiate a Privilege Motion but he will continue to stand with farmers, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being “anti-farmer” and “selling out” the country through the India-US interim trade deal.
“I stand with the farmers and will not turn back even an inch,” Mr Gandhi said in a video posted on his handle X.
Earlier in the day, Opposition leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, protested against the trade deal at the Parliament complex and expressed solidarity with the general strike called by labor unions and farmer unions.
MPs from Samajwadi Party, DMK and Left parties also participated in the protest in front of Makar Dwar Parliament.
‘Prevent the Prime Minister’
In a video statement posted online, Mr Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the government over the deal, claiming there was “pressure” on the Prime Minister and that the “reins” were in the hands of US President Donald Trump.
“Whether an FIR is filed, a case is registered or a Privilege Motion is brought – I will fight for farmers,” he said in an
In the video, Mr Gandhi said farmers are the foundation of the country.
“Congress fought for food security and Narendra Modi betrayed our food security and our farmers. He sold out cotton, soyabean, apple and fruit farmers by making a deal with the US. For years, foreigners have been trying to capture our agricultural market,” he said, adding that Mr Modi had opened the doors for them.
“This is the truth, he knows it too. He did this with a chokehold on his neck. Donald Trump has the reins of Narendra Modi,” he said.
Mr Gandhi claimed that the Prime Minister would open the entire agricultural market to “friends like Adani, Ambani and foreign powers”, claiming that “maize, cotton, soyabean and fruit farmers are just the beginning”.
He also criticized the differences that prevailed between Indian and American agricultural systems. “American farmers have acres of farmland, they are all mechanized and the government gives them subsidies. On the other hand, the farms our farmers have are small, they do not get MSP and there is no mechanization,” he said.
‘We will not move even a centimeter’
Doubling down on his stand, Mr. Gandhi said, “Sue me, harass me, do whatever you want, file a Privilege Motion, it doesn’t matter to me… Do whatever you want, I am with the farmers. I will not budge even an inch.”
“Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge jiI and the entire Congress stand with the farmers. “We will not allow this injustice,” he said.
Mr Gandhi claimed the deal, which he said included the removal of “non-tariff barriers” on American agricultural products, posed a direct threat to India’s food security and farmers’ livelihoods. He said small farmers cannot compete with subsidized and mechanized American agriculture.
“We will fight on every platform, from the streets to the parliament, in every village, to protect India’s farmers and the country’s food security,” he said.
At a meeting of Congress Lok Sabha MPs in the evening, Mr Gandhi praised his colleagues for dominating the first part of the Budget session, taking on the government in the “sell-out” trade deal and urging them to take the message to the people.
It was published – 12 February 2026 23:05 IST
