Outlining its political response against the proposed India-US trade deal, the Congress on Friday announced a series of ‘Kisan sammelan’, starting February 24, aimed at mobilising farmers and amplifying their concerns on the ground.The party made the announcement after a meeting chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi set the stage for a political campaign against the proposed India-US trade deal. The party repeated its charge that the agreement would have an immediate adverse impact on farmers across several states.Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, “The first such gathering will be held in Bhopal on February 24, where both Kharge and Gandhi are expected to participate in the ‘sammelan’.”“This will be followed by a similar event in Yavatmal in Maharashtra on March 7, ahead of the upcoming Parliament session, and a third sammelan in Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan,” he added.Ramesh said the meeting, held at Kharge’s residence at 10 Rajaji Marg in Delhi, focused on the “compulsions” behind the trade agreement and its likely fallout on agriculture.He said leaders from six states and UTs — Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra — attended the meeting, along with the HP Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, senior leaders KC Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala. Besides, various party general secretaries, state in-charges, Pradesh Congress Committee presidents and Congress Legislature Party leaders were also present.The party reviewed crop-specific vulnerabilities, particularly in cotton, soybean, maize and fruit-growing regions, which it believes would be the first to face the impact of the deal.Ramesh said both Kharge and Gandhi conveyed that the agreement reflected a “policy surrender” by the Centre, arguing that domestic agricultural interests have been compromised. The party drew parallels with earlier policy decisions, claiming a pattern of abrupt or unilateral moves that has “weakened India’s negotiating position”.Ramesh indicated that the sammelan would focus on states where the initial impact was expected to be most visible, with the party planning sustained engagement with farmers’ groups and unions. He said the Congress intends to highlight ‘risks’ posed by the agreement, particularly for small and medium farmers who are dependent on key cash and food crops.Ramesh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi first “surrendered” during Operation Sindoor on May 10 and was now repeating the same approach in the Indo-US trade deal.The party also referred to the prolonged farmers’ protests against the three farm laws, suggesting that similar resistance could emerge if concerns over the trade deal are not addressed. It signalled that it would align with farmer organisations to raise the issue both politically and on the ground.