Sonia Gandhi's remarks come as negotiations to finalise the long-overdue RCEP enter final stages
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday launched a blistering attack on the government on the state of economy, saying signing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement will result in "untold hardship" for farmers, shopkeepers and small enterprises.
Addressing a meeting at the AICC headquarters in Delhi, she alleged that instead of acknowledging the "severe slowdown" and looking for a comprehensive resolution, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is too busy "managing headlines and events".
"As a citizen and as a member of the responsible opposition, it pains me to see the Indian economy under siege. What is even more worrying is that the government is in complete denial," Mrs Gandhi said.
"As if the government's economic decisions have not damaged the economy enough, it is now ready to deal a body blow to it by signing the RCEP," Mrs Gandhi said. RCEP or the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is a regional free trade agreement of 16 Asia-Pacific countries spanning India to New Zealand.
"This will result in untold hardship for farmers, shopkeepers, and small and medium enterprises," she said.
Sonia Gandhi's remarks come as negotiations to finalise the long-overdue RCEP enter final stages. All eyes are on India whether it will finally take the plunge and agrees to the world's largest trading deal.