Congress claims victory on RCEP

New Delhi, Nov. 4: With India deciding not to join the Regional Compre-hensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the Congress on Monday claimed victory saying its forceful opposition ensured that the BJP government backs out from bartering the interests of farmers, dairy producers, fishermen and small and medium businessmen.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said it is a win for all those protecting national interests.

“As BJP and Amit Shah indulge in fake credit seeking, let them remember that Congress’ forceful opposition made them back down,” he claimed.

He alleged that the BJP government “had gone overboard” in its zeal to sign RCEP.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the BJP government was all set to sign the RCEP agreement with pomp and show but had to stall its decision after farmers unitedly opposed it and did not allow their hard work and national interests to be bartered to foreign companies and countries.

“The BJP government after crushing farmers’ interests, was going to hand over the national interests of India to foreign countries by signing the RCEP agreement (antifarmer agreement) with pomp and show. But, the farmers of the country opposed it with complete unity,” she said in a tweet in Hindi.

“They gave a clear message that their hard work will not be allowed to be handed over for the benefit of foreign companies.

“The BJP government was forced to stall its decision on RCEP agreement. I congratulate all farmer brothers and sisters. I thank the Congress party workers who supported the farmers extensively on this issue,” she also said on Twitter.

Surjewala said with “rampant unemployment, a sinking economy and deep agrarian crisis emanating from utter mismanagement of economy by BJP Government”, signing RCEP would have been catastrophic.

“A forceful opposition by Congress and Rahul Gandhi ensures that BJP government backs down from bartering the interests of farmers, dairy producers, fishermen, small and medium businesses at the altar of political expediency (sic),” he said on Twitter.

“By backing down at the behest of the Congress party and farmers groups, our government has been forced to take a correct decision,” Surjewala said.