The India-US trade deal became a political flashpoint in Bhopal on Tuesday, with Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleging that the agreement was pushed through under pressure from the United States and at the cost of India’s farmers.Addressing the Congress’ Kisan Maha Chaupal, he claimed the deal was influenced by US President Donald Trump, linking it to the Epstein files and corporate interests.“The Indo-US trade deal is against farmers and was cleared under pressure from Donald Trump due to the Epstein files and to protect certain business interests,” Rahul alleged, targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.He also accused the Prime Minister of bypassing key ministers while taking the decision, naming Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. He questioned why such a major agreement was allegedly cleared without wider Cabinet consultation.Sharpening his attack, Rahul referred to what he described as “pressure points” linked to global investigations. He alleged that names of Indian individuals had surfaced in the Epstein-related documents and claimed these were being used as leverage. He also raised questions about the relationship between the government and industrialist Gautam Adani, and said legal challenges faced by the businessman abroad were indirectly influencing decisions at the highest level in India.Rahul reiterated that he was not allowed to complete his speech in the Lok Sabha when he attempted to raise national security concerns, referring to a book by former Army Chief Manoj Mukund Naravane. He suggested that his speech could have brought out details the government did not want discussed publicly.Linking events, he claimed that the four-month deadlock in India-US trade talks, particularly over agriculture, ended suddenly after his attempted intervention in Parliament. He alleged that the Prime Minister contacted Trump the same evening and conveyed readiness to finalise the agreement.At the centre of his criticism was the potential impact on farmers. Rahul warned that opening Indian markets to imports of soybean, cotton, maize and pulses could bring down prices and affect livelihoods. He also flagged concerns about the textile sector and small industries and alleged that India’s data could be part of broader negotiations, calling it a strategic compromise.Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the agreement reflects an imbalance that could harm farmers, labourers and small businesses. He said cheaper agricultural imports from the US could be dumped in Indian markets, making it difficult for local producers to compete.