Anand Sharma Criticizes Piyush Goyal Over Trade Pacts, Demands Apology

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma has taken a strong stance against remarks made by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal regarding trade agreements established during the UPA regime. Sharma described Goyal's comments as "irresponsible and misleading," and called for a public apology.

In a series of posts on social media platform X, Sharma, who previously held the position of commerce minister, defended the necessity of palm oil imports, insisting they were essential to meet India’s domestic demand. He argued that Goyal's criticism ignored the ongoing importance of these imports, which began under the Vajpayee-led NDA government and have persisted under the Modi administration.

Sharma also challenged Goyal on the implications of labeling ASEAN as aligned with China, questioned the India-US trade deal's lack of transparency, and expressed concerns over potential impacts on national sovereignty. Goyal's narrative on past FTAs with developing nations as detrimental to Indian industries was also contested by Sharma.