CPI leader warns EU trade deal could harm India’s key sectors

The proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) may harm India’s agriculture, indigenous steel, pharmaceutical and automotive sectors, despite the prices of imported cars and wines becoming cheaper, opined CPI national secretary K. Ramakrishna on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Ramakrishna said that the agreement would result in an increase in imports from the EU to 107%, and demanded a detailed discussion on the FTA and who would benefit from it. He also called for the scrapping of the deal.

Referring to the joint address to Parliament by President Droupadi Murmu, the CPI leader said that it was full of contradictions and said that the speech appeared drafted to paint a rosy picture of the economic situation and mislead the people.

He said that the President, in her address said that 25 crore people in the country were brought above the poverty line. However, she later said that 80 crore people were being supplied free rice. The divergent statements, he highlighted indicate the level of poverty in the country.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, the exchange rate for $1 was ₹60, and it has now risen up to ₹91.64 paise, yet the government remains silent on the matter.

He also ridiculed the land allotment policy of the Chandrababu Naidu-led government to private firms and said that if allowed to continue, Visakhapatnam and Amaravati would top the list of land scams in the State. Referring to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s call to Ministers and party leaders to highlight the ‘laddu’ adulteration case, and the alleged role of the previous YSRCP government in it, he said it was ridiculous that the government has failed to take any action on the issue.

CPI national council member J.V.S.N Murthy (Nani) faulted the allotment of 54 acres land to GITAM University, and demanded that the proposal be removed from the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) agenda. He criticised the Chandrababu Naidu government for failing to keep its promise of releasing the job calendar by January 2025. He opined that repeatedly talking about the failures of the past government was meant to divert the attention of the people.