NEW DELHI: The AAP chief accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of betraying cotton farmers by scrapping the duty on American cotton, which, he said, will now flood the market at cheaper rates.
Reacting to the steep tariff hikes imposed by the US on Indian imports, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday demanded that India should impose 100 per cent tariffs on US goods in retaliation to Washington’s move.
“… If US President Donald Trump has imposed a 50% tariff, we should impose a 100% tariff on America…,” he said.
Going further, the AAP chief accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of betraying cotton farmers by scrapping the duty on American cotton, which, he said, will now flood the market at cheaper rates. “We demand from PM Modi that the order withdrawing 11% import duty on cotton should be withdrawn with immediate effect, and the 11% import duty should be imposed again on cotton coming from America, and farmers of our country should be saved,” he said.
He alleged, “PM Modi has taken some decisions behind our backs which are a huge betrayal of the farmers of the entire country. Recently, under the pressure of Trump and America, it has been decided that the cotton that comes to India from America, till now, had an 11% duty on it.” “In the last few days, the Modi government has decided that the 11% duty imposed on the cotton coming from America has been removed. Now, no duty will be imposed on the cotton coming from America from 19 August to 30 September, for 40 days… The cotton that will come, or has started coming from America, is roughly cheaper in India than the cotton of Indian farmers by an average of Rs 15-20 per kg.”
Agencies
India should retaliate with 100% tariff: Kejriwal on US move
