Political slugfest around the recently announced India-US trade deal escalated further with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal calling Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi a “drama artiste perpetrating lies” after the Congress leader termed it “anti-farmer” and “anti-textile sector”.Attacking the government, Rahul said Bangladesh had managed an advantage, with zero per cent tariff on garment exports to the US with the condition that they imported US cotton, as opposed to Indian garments, which faced 18 per cent US tariffs.“Eighteen per cent tariff vs 0 per cent – Let me explain how the Prime Minister and his Cabinet are spreading confusion on this issue. And how they are cheating India’s cotton farmers and textile exporters through the India-US trade deal,” Rahul said.The Congress leader added that in an answer to his query about Bangladesh’s advantage, a minister said if India wanted the same concession, it would also need to import US cotton. “Why was this fact hidden from the country till now? And what kind of policy is this? Is this really any kind of choice — or is it a trap designed to push us into a ‘well in front, ditch behind’ situation?” Rahul said.Goyal hit back, saying Rahul was trying to sabotage India’s growth story with his politics of negativity. Rejecting Rahul’s remarks that the trade deal was anti-farmer, Goyal said: “Rahul is fearmongering and misleading farmers and exporters. Both will gain hugely from the deal.”The minister said nine free trade agreements, covering 38 developed countries, that India had signed had opened up a Rs 45 lakh crore textile market. “India exports Rs 4 lakh crore worth of textiles today. So you can map the growth and job potential,” Goyal said.The minister said Rahul didn’t not know that the US production of cotton was very small, and after domestic consumption, US exports of cotton and yarn stood at only $6 billion. “He also doesn’t know that Bangladesh imports $2.7 billion cotton from India, which they will have to continue doing because the US does not have any surplus cotton. Hence, with the huge potential for growth in our textile sector, demand for Indian cotton will continuously grow and increase the income of farmers,” the minister said.Goyal said under the earlier Congress government, Foreign Trade Policy and SEZ Act allowed duty-free import of raw material, including cotton, to be used for producing export goods.“When Rahul attacks zero-duty imports for export, he is attacking his own party policies. What an ignorant Leader of Opposition. No wonder he fails in elections,” said Goyal. Rahul, in a statement earlier, said if India imports American cotton, farmers would be ruined.“If we don’t import it, our textile industry will lag and get destroyed. And now, Bangladesh is giving signals that it may reduce or even stop importing cotton from India,” he said, adding that the textile sector employs five crore families and the US deal would destroy it. “I call this surrender,” he said.On Rahul’s remarks that the deal would harm farmer interests, Goyal said: “Rahul is a drama artiste and peddler of false allegations.”“He is shooting from the shoulders of Congress activists masquerading as farmer leaders. The fact is farmer interests have been fully protected in the Indo-US trade deal,” the minister said.On apples, Goyal said India imported 5,50,000 tonnes every year due to high demand. “We have not allowed unlimited imports of apples. We gave a quota much less than our current imports, which will also be allowed at a minimum import price of Rs 80 per kg and a duty of Rs 25 will be charged on it. So the landed cost will be Rs 105 against the current Rs 75 per kg,” said Goyal.