New Delhi [India], February 11 (ANI): Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that under the pretext of 'clearing barriers to digital trade,' Prime Minister Narendra Modi has 'surrendered to the US chokehold' in the interim trade agreement.

Rahul Gandhi's criticism came as India is set to hold an Artificial Intelligence Summit, which he believed could have been an opportunity for India to assert leadership.

However, Rahul believed that through the interim trade agreement, New Delhi allowed Washington to oppose India's use of its data for their own benefit.

'In a few days, the government is hosting a grand AI Summit. It should have been an opportunity for India to assert leadership - to demonstrate how a country of 1.4 billion people can use our data to shape the global AI future ON OUR OWN TERMS,' he said in a post on X.

'Instead, a helpless PM Modi has surrendered to the US 'chokehold' in the trade deal. Under the pretext of 'clearing barriers to digital trade', every move to use our data for our own benefit will be opposed,' he added.

https://x.com/RahulGandhi/status/2021594433972822391

Lok Sabha LoP flagged that this deal will raise issues, including ensuring the security of user data and ensuring transparency in other companies' source code.

'Already, large foreign companies enjoy a near monopoly on our data through Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, Amazon, Android, etc. With this deal, India will struggle to: Safely store the data of 1.5 billion Indians in India. Get transparency in their source codes and algorithms. Tax the profits they make using our data,' he said.

'It's a shame that our Prime Minister has been pressured to hand over India's prime resource to a foreign power,' he added.

US and India have announced a framework for an Interim Agreement regarding reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade.

According to the joint statement, the United States and India have commited to address discriminatory or burdensome practices and other barriers to digital trade and to set a clear pathway to achieve robust, ambitious, and mutually beneficial digital trade rules as part of the BTA.

It also said the United States will apply a reciprocal tariff rate of 18 per cent under Executive Order 14257 of April 2, 2025, as amended, on originating goods of India, including textiles and apparel, leather and footwear, plastic and rubber, organic chemicals, home decor, artisanal products, and certain machinery. (ANI)