New Delhi: Replying to motion of thanks to the President’s speech in parliament, Congress president and leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday (February 4) questioned the manner in which the India-US trade deal was announced. Questioning the secrecy regarding the trade deal with the US at a time when the parliament is in session, Kharge asked whether India had compromised in any manner under US “pressure”.“The parliament was in session but members got to know about the deal from President Trump. This is an insult to the parliament,” he said.He also asked whether India agreed to the zero tariffs on American imports, as claimed by US President Donald Trump in his announcement, further raising concern for the country’s farmers.He said that the deal would damage India’s agricultural sector. “The government is crushing Indian farmers by agreeing to zero tariffs [on import of agricultural products]. Are you working for India’s farmers or against them?” he asked in Rajya Sabha.In a post on X, too, Kharge raised the issue of whether the country’s farmers were secure and whether India has opened the agriculture sector for the US agriculture market. He also asked whether India and the US now enjoy a comprehensive global strategic partnership driven by shared values.“The Indo-US Nuclear Deal signed under former PM, Dr Manmohan Singh was a prime example of our commitment to mutual progress. The Congress-UPA government was transparent in its approach in regularly taking Parliament into confidence while inking the various agreements of the landmark deal.”“Contrast this with the present scenario, where the nation does not know any aspect of the trade deal, announced by President Trump,” he said in the post.Kharge said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tweet thanked Trump for reducing tariffs to 18%, but did not mention anything about the deal. “Parliament is in session, but the Modi government used an outside platform to talk about the deal, without divulging any details.“Three key questions, among others remain unanswered – Has India compromised in any manner under US pressure? Have we agreed to ZERO tariffs on American imports, as claimed by Mr. Trump? Would our farmers be secure? Have we, fully or partially opened up our agricultural sectors for the US Agri market?” he asked in his post.“Would India stop buying oil from Russia? What has India conveyed to Russia in this regard? Parliament and 140 crore people of India have the right to know,” he further said.It must be noted that Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal, who has been under pressure by the opposition to reveal the details about the so-called trade deal, has repeatedly defended it and said that a statement on the agreement would be out “soon”.“As the Members of the House are aware, since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States in February 2025, India and the US have been regularly engaged in discussions with the objective of concluding a balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement,” Goyal told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.“During these negotiations, the Indian side successfully ensured the protection of its sensitive sectors, particularly agriculture and dairy,” he said.A day ago, addressing a press conference, Goyal had claimed that Modi had used his “friendship” with the US President to work out the “best deal” compared to India’s neighbours and surrounding countries. He stayed away from any details of the deal, and said that they will be made public soon, through a joint statement as the “trade deal” was still “under final stages of detailing between the negotiating teams”.“We all know that the Prime Minister, leveraging his friendly relationship and close ties with President Trump, has finalised a trade deal with the United States of America that is the best deal India has received compared to all our neighbours, all the surrounding countries, and all the countries that compete with us. This is a great deal for all of us, which will bring us good fortunes. We know that for months our negotiating team had been in dialogue with ministers and teams from the US,” he had said.He also said that the prime minister had ensured that India’s sensitive sectors including agriculture and dairy would be protected.On Monday, Trump had announced that the US and India have reached a trade agreement under which American reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods will be reduced from 25% (excluding the penalty) to 18%, while India will eliminate all tariffs and non-tariff barriers on US products.Trump had also claimed that Modi “agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela”.