AIKS Demands Goyal’s Resignation Over Proposed India-US Deal, Centre Denies Reports of Delay in Talks

The debate over the proposed India-US trade agreement has intensified with the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) demanding the resignation of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and calling for the immediate suspension of the proposed trade pact, while the Centre dismissed reports suggesting India was delaying the agreement with the United States.

In a strongly worded statement, AIKS alleged that the proposed trade agreement was being negotiated without consulting farmers, Parliament or state governments, despite agriculture being a state subject. The farmers' organisation accused the government of compromising farmers' interests and national sovereignty, and urged cultivators to participate in the nationwide protest called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on July 22.

AIKS claimed that the proposed agreement could expose Indian agriculture to duty-free imports of heavily subsidised American farm products, including wheat, corn, soybean, cotton and dairy products. It argued that such imports would further weaken domestic prices and threaten the livelihoods of small and marginal farmers. The organisation also demanded that the full text of the proposed India-US agreement and other free trade agreements be placed before Parliament, state governments and farmers' representatives before any final decision is taken.

The farmers' body also linked its concerns to recent price trends in cotton and soybean. It alleged that higher imports had contributed to cotton prices falling below the Minimum Support Price (MSP) during the 2025-26 season and claimed that soybean farmers also suffered significant losses as market prices remained well below MSP. According to AIKS, further tariff concessions under the proposed agreement could deepen the price crisis during the current season.

Meanwhile, rejecting media reports that India was holding up an interim trade agreement with the US, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal described such claims as "completely false, baseless and misleading."

In a post on X, Goyal said he had held "fantastic meetings" with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer during his visit to New Delhi in June. He said both countries had reaffirmed their commitment to concluding "a balanced, commercially meaningful" agreement that delivers tangible benefits for businesses, farmers, workers and consumers in both countries.

"Our teams remain fully engaged in achieving this objective," Goyal said, reiterating that negotiations remain on track. The clarification came after a report claimed that India was unwilling to rush into an interim trade agreement with Washington and was seeking more favourable terms despite increasing pressure from the United States.

Trade negotiations between India and the US have gained momentum in recent months as both countries work toward concluding an interim agreement before pursuing a broader bilateral trade pact. However, farmer organisations have repeatedly expressed concerns that greater market access for US agricultural products could adversely affect domestic producers, while the government has maintained that India's agricultural sensitivities will remain protected in any final agreement.